Dark to Dawn
by scatcat517
Summary: The Mandalorian Wars and beyond... "For honor! For Mandalore!" the Mandalorians yelled as they dove into battle against the Republic forces, slaughtering them. The Republic: no direction, catastrophic losses. Until Revan came along. AU male Revan
1. Prologue

**Pure Sith Warship, Unknown Regions, time: 1600 hours, Republic Standard Time. (RST)**

Heavy footfalls echoed down the dimly lit, grey hallway as a silver and black clad mandalorian walked towards the door at the end. The guards that had come with the grey clad mandalorian had been left at the docking bay entrance. The four guards were very disgruntled, Mandalore knew that much from the grumbling he could hear from the built in comm link in his helmet. Reluctantly, the four guards had stayed behind, warily eying the troopers in black and crimson guarding the bay.

Mandalore had been, unknown to his body guards; loathe leaving them in the bay. He, Mandalore the Ultimate was unsure of what he was walking into. The hallway came to an end, much too soon in Mandalore's opinion.

Hesitating momentarily, Mandalore slid his gloved hand over the access panel beside the door and walked two steps into the dark room. A solitary, menacing figure stood at its center.

The dim light did not show the figures features. The only thing Mandalore could tell was that it whatever it was, this thing was tall. Over six feet in height and in dark robes that billowed with the slightest movement.

"Enter, Mandalore."

The voice echoed around the room deceptively, it sounded somehow tinny and also dark. Higher pitched, but not like that of a woman's.

Mandalore, ignoring the fact that usually no one told him what to do and lived, stepped into the chamber. The metal door closed swiftly behind him and clicked with a locking mechanism.

Mandalore took a step forward relatively undaunted, or at least much less daunted than a man who had not seen as much war as he had.

As he walked toward the center of the room Mandalore noticed the décor. Large obsidian columns and black and red tiles on the floor; with each step he took, tiny guiding lights lit up on both sides of the path bathing everything in an eerie glow. Grey, red, and black was all the room was, layers of it. When he finally came within distance of the thing he stopped, a good five feet from the imposing creature. Mandalore smirked to himself under his helmet, he was right. The thing was tall; it was at least a foot taller than Mandalore's six foot two sturdy frame. Becoming impatient with the heavy silence in the relatively empty room Mandalore spoke:

"You said there was something you thought I would be interested in hearing about."

The thing turned slowly to face the leader of the mandalorians, causing Mandalore the Ultimate to stare in shock through his mask at the creature. Red, flat nosed to the point where there almost wasn't one to breath out of, and scales like that of the zekkeg, though more refined, it was menacing.

It opened its mouth to speak revealing teeth where they should be, but pointed like a cannock.

"I believe there is something you would like to hear about Mandalore, something that

Would bring you honor. Something that would make you remembered for the rest of time." The scaly thing said softly, its eyes flickering from grey to a sickly yellow.

"What would you know of our honor?" Mandalore asked, intrigued.

"I know that you yearn for a battle that will make the galaxy quake, and remember you

For eons. I know that you were allies with my last good apprentice." It replied steadily.

"And who would he have been?" Mandalore asked uncertainly.

"Exar Kun." The silence that filled the air after the statement was heavy with thought from Mandalore. Mandalore looked up at the strange creature with a sense of respect but also questioning.

"I thought he was turned to the dark side by some dead guy's spirit on Yavin 4."

Mandalore said, curious.

The creature gave a sick smile showing its pointed teeth.

"Who do you think trained the one who turned Kun? Surely, you do not think that Marka Ragnos was capable of training himself in all the ways of the Dark side? No, I am and always will be the true master of the dark. I am the leader of the pure Sith. I am Naga Sadow."

"Impossible." Mandalore said defiantly, "Naga Sadow has been dead for thousands of years."

Naga Sadow turned, "Only those within my empire that are loyal to me know of my existence..." He said in calculated tones.

Mandalore looked unconvinced and considered the Sith's words. Honor? Why would Naga Sadow, a Sith lord that was believed to be dead for several thousand years, want the mando'a people to gain honor? Suddenly, the Sith's true intentions dawned upon him suddenly.

"I'll keep in touch." Mandalore projected gruffly, turning on heel and going back to the door.

As Naga Sadow used the Force to disengage the door's locking mechanisms Mandalore heard the scaly being utter quietly,

"Gar aruetyc jetiise lise nau'ur ca ti jetii'kade, a'a'denla Siite hibira atiniir darasuum."(1)

**

* * *

**

**Coruscant, Inner Galactic Core, The Jedi Temple. Time: 1600 Hours (RST)**

A diminutive, green alien snapped out of his meditation quickly. His eyes searched the room for something he could not see for a few moments, and then stopped on the door.

Thinking quickly, Master Vandar jumped off of his well cushioned seat in the center of his light filled room and walked to the door.

There had been a massive flash of dark side energy, and then, as quickly as it had come, it had vanished. Vandar's brow furrowed as he thought more about what it could mean. No, he would not jump ahead of himself. He would go directly and inform the rest of the council of the anomaly and then they would discuss the action to take. Or if they should take any action towards this hidden threat at all. Perhaps, the rest of the council, like he, would wish to wait for the threat to reveal itself in due time...

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Yay! We just started the Mandalorian Wars! Ooooh how is Naga Sadow still alive? I don't know yet, I'll think of something…. Any way, next chapter should be posted within the next week!

Well, that's my first chapter. I would love to hear feedback from you!

(1) means: You traitorous Jedi can light up the night with your lightsabers, but the vengeful Sith learn to endure forever.


	2. Chapter 1

**6 months later…Coruscant, Jedi Temple Landing Pad. Time: 2200 Hours (RST)**

It had been four months exactly since the Mandalorians had begun an invasion on the Republic. Four months of the Jedi Council sitting on their rear ends, doing nothing. Saying: patience young Knight, we must assess the threat, and then we may decide how to proceed.

Revan had gotten sick of hearing these words three and a half months ago.

"Could we make it so that no one hears us coming in this time?" Revan asked over his comm.

The raillery that came back made Revan's eye twitch with annoyance.

"If you ask nicely, _Revvy_."

Revan sighed in exasperation. "I hope your mother had the sense to beat you as a child, Malak."

A snort of amusement came from the other end of the comm.

"You're one to talk, smartass." Malak jibed back.

"Please don't make loud noises when were trying to sneak in." Revan asked, in what he hoped sounded like a nice manner.

"Very well, _Master…_."

"Very funny."Revan muttered under his breath, "If I was your Master, I would beat you senseless until your morale improved."

"I heard that."

As quietly as possible the two climbed out of their respected Jedi Fighters, and into the Hangar bay of the Jedi Temple.

The only occupants of the bay were two padawans who appeared to be working on fixing a speeder, and an irritated looking master, who stood over them like an extra scary looking Mykal.

"Brings back memories, that? Eh, Rev?" Malak asked coming up from behind.

"You mean all the trouble we got into?" Revan asked smirking, "It was all due to your terrible influence on me of course…."

Malak clasped his hand over his chest in mock offense.

"You hurt me with your words!"

"_Mirosik_."(1) Revan muttered under his breath as he began walking towards the repulsor lift that would take them up to the living area of the temple.

"Do not call me mean names in Mandalorian, half-y, I don't know how to respond to them." Malak said catching up to his best friend.

"Exactly, that's why I do it." Revan retorted punching the button to make the lift come down.

"Well, then… fine." Malak said thinking a moment.

"I win." Revan said with his trademark smirk.

"No you don't, I will think of something to say back to you, just give me a moment to think about what it could be…."

The lift doors opened just as Malak was about to open his mouth to sprout a freshly made comeback. Master Kavar looked surprised to see the pair.

"Eh, what are you two doing out this late? I thought you were supposed to be back from that negotiation this afternoon?"

Revan and Malak exchanged glances. Revan replied, "We got held up. The talks took longer than we thought and we had to sit in line for the fuel; they are in a crisis right now after all."

Master Kavar seemed to consider this for a moment, and then nodded.

"It's not that I don't believe you two, but, you have been arriving from missions late well, lately. For your general information boys, the council is slowly becoming aware of these little side missions you have been making."

"What side missions?" Malak asked with his favorite 'innocent little padawan' smile.

"Very cute, but be careful you two. I don't like the way the talks with the council are going either, but it is better to have their approval for such things. The mandalorians must be assessed, there are a number of things that are going on that only the council members know about." Kavar explained, moving around them to his own fighter.

"What things?" Revan asked intrigued.

Kavar shook his head, "Ask someone else, I have a mission that needs my immediate attention. Perhaps Zhar will give you some answers. Or perhaps even Ell?" he then turned his back on the two young knights and continued his walk to the fighter.

"perhaps…." Revan mused.

"They're being more cryptic than usual." Malak sighed rubbing his temples as he got into the lift and held the door as Revan got in as well.

Revan nodded his assent and pushed the button for the third floor, where his bed waited for him. All the things going on were starting to build in his mind, and his body was tired from constant 'side missions' and the regular ones for the council.

"Rev, this is our stop." Malak said waving his hand in front of his friend's face. "Hello, Couruscant to Revan the half breed, come in, over."

Revan jolted out of his internal musings and gave Malak a very irritated look before realizing that this was the floor he needed to get off on.

"Sorry, thanks Mak." Revan said making his way down the hallway to the right. Towards the consular wing.

"No problem, hey listen, should we ask Zhar tomorrow about what Kavar said?" Malak asked quickly, his voice low so he would not wake any of the sleeping Jedi on this floor.

Revan nodded absently and waved. Malak nodded and turned, making his way toward the Guardian's dorms.

Revan let his feet carry him to his room, where he slid the access key through the slot and pushed the door open. He let his utility bet drop onto the floor with his credits and lightsaber. Then his over robe and boots. Then being too tired to bother with a shower, Revan collapsed onto his bed, and almost instantly fell asleep.

_

* * *

_

_Screams, brilliant flashes of light, muck. Blood, the smell of it on his clothes, in his hair, on his skin, none of it his .__**Talyc.**__ (2) Gleaming blue, yellow, and red armor against black and silver and white. Where was she? A violent explosion out of nowhere, the compound? Was she inside? Don't die. No, there she was, fighting the colorful armor. Standing in front of him. Suddenly she's down on the ground, one hand clutching her double bladed ritual brand, the other reaching out to him, covered in blood…her's….__**Kyr'am**(__3)_

Revan sat up in bed with a start. Memories flooding his mind. Revan put a hand to the back of his neck to feel the cold sweat there, and then ran the hand through his messy brown hair.

. Revan looked over at the time chrono on his bedside table, 0800. Sighing he pushed the covers off of his lean body and stood. He stretched momentarily and grabbed his showering supplies and a fresh Jedi robe. He walked out his door and down the hallway to the men's shared bath room on this side of the complex. It was later than he usually woke up, but, he would just have to deal with the crowd that was probably there, Revan decided.

* * *

Translation from Mandalorian:

(1) means: something undesireable where your brains ought to be...

(2) means: blood

(3) means: death

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Hello again, wow, another update already? yes indeed... why? Because I got bored...yay me!? any way what's up with Rev? What was with the dream? Where am I taking this story with the AU... sort of- ness? Only time will tell...( I sound kind of like the duel ring commentator on Knights 1 right now... oops.)


	3. Chapter 2

**Dantooine, Outer Rim territories, Jedi Enclave. Time: 1100 Hours (RST)**

Bastila Shan sat calmly in a meditative pose next to her Jedi master, Vrook. She could feel the calm breezes around her. She could, without opening her eyes, _see_, the babbling little brook that was nearby, the savannah grasses and the gnarled old trees that gave the surroundings so much _personality_.

She focused on living Force around her, but she soon felt her mind wandering to other places.

She internally shook herself and made another attempt to focus on her battle meditation. Vrook watched this struggle both with his eyes and with the Force, her emotions were turbulent, and she was becoming unfocused quicker and quicker.

Vrook shook his head at his fourteen year old padawan.

"Bastila that is enough for today." He said reprovingly, his eyebrows furrowing. "Your focus is off, and you are too emotional to try this next step at the moment. We will try again tomorrow."

Bastila opened her eyes and looked up at her master's severe appearance, nodding she stood.

"I am sorry, master." Bastila said quietly, "I simply cannot concentrate at the moment."

Vrook nodded looking as concerned as he could for a man of his character, "I understand, I remember having days where I could not concentrate when I was a padawan." Stiffly he turned and began to move off, "Bastila, come to the council chambers after lunch, the other council members wish to speak with you."

"As you wish, Master Vrook." Bastila replied softly.

Vrook nodded and continued to walk away, and then after a few moments, disappeared into the Enclave.

Bastila groaned as she stood, stiff from sitting in a single meditative position for too much time. She repositioned her utility belt so that her lightsaber was in easier reach, and not digging into her hip so much. She brushed off her back side and straightened her over robe.

Then, the fourteen year old strode towards the white and tan Enclave. She looked toward the crystalline blue Dantooine sky, deciding that it was indeed, time for lunch.

**

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******

**Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories, specifics: unknown time: roughly, 1700 Hours. (RST)**

Aiden Kenobi's head hurt.

_Well, _Aiden thought,_ Master Kavar's late, these uncivilized Mandalorians are dragging me the Force knows where and I believe I am bleeding… lovely, when I get back I'm going to space Revan._

The dragging stopped. One of the Jedi's captors said something in muffled mando'a, and the one that had been dragging Aiden flipped him over onto his back.

Aiden felt the wind knocked out of him as the mandalorian did this and wheezed from the harsh impact on his fresh wounds. _Another one to add to the collection…_ Aiden thought dimly, before he could realize it the first mandalorian brought something down on him, piercing his leg.

Aiden could feel the slow spread of toxin entering his system and feebly tried to use the Force to delay it.

Then, Aiden realized that the mandalorians were not aware that this normal dosage they had given him, would only affect him for a short while, instead of the full time, because of his Jedi training.

Aiden held back a smirk. All he had to do was watch and wait, and then perhaps heal himself enough to knock these brutes out and slip away.

Aiden was good at waiting games, after all, he had grown up with Malak, and playing a prank on the tall Knight took patience. Aiden had _lots_ of patience.

**

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**

**Coruscant, inner core, The Jedi Temple. Time: 1200 Hours (RST)**

Malak watched as the younglings made jerky movements with their practice sabers. He smiled lightly as a few wandered over to him for assistance.

"Master Malak," a young girl, no older than six pulled on the hem of Malak's Jedi robes.

"Yes, Kylie?" Malak asked trying not to show amusement at the fact she was pouting, and scowling at the youngling next to her. A young boy named Jayden, who stuck his tongue out at her. Malak shook his head, "Now, what seems to be the problem you two?'

"She's mad 'cause she can't even turn her saber on!" Jayden said making a face at Kylie. Kylie frowned, "I tried to make it turn on Master Malak, but I just cant figure it out!" Kylie said this, and looked like she would burst into tears.

Malak could take care of younglings, but younglings that looked about to cry over a lightsaber were a different matter entirely.

Looking uncertain, Malak cleared his throat and said. "Well, I could show you how to make it turn on, and then I could help you both find your stances, and then you two could go at it with sabers. How does that sound?" Malak asked,_ please don't cry, I don't know what to do if Kylie starts crying…_

"Okay." Kylie said looking much happier.

Malak let out a short sigh of relief, and proceeded to assist the little ones.

Many of the other young Knights Malak's age of twenty, would have looked down upon the assignment of teaching the younglings when they could easily be out in the galaxy doing something daring.

The truth was, Malak didn't mind teaching all that much. He had accepted the position from Master Vandar, and the position had simply been, teach the younglings during the afternoon for a few hours whenever you're available.

Revan had gotten a similar assignment, teaching tactics and strategy in an older padawan class.Revan only being nineteen himself, was barely older than some of the padawans he was teaching. Malak had simply rolled his eyes at Revan when Revan had gotten the assignment, under the same conditions as his own; teach in the afternoon when you're around.

Revan had voiced that he thought it was simply to allow the council to keep a tighter leash on them, seeing as they had been getting slightly peeved at the lateness of the two recently on returning from missions.

The two hours of youngling instruction flew by quickly, and soon, Malak found himself wandering to the mess hall for a long awaited lunch.

Sensing Revan's presence behind him he spoke, "So how did your class go?"

"Well enough, I suppose. How about yours?" Revan asked falling into step beside his best friend.

"Eh, younglings are a handful, great little kids, but a handful." Malak mused quietly.

Revan nodded in agreement, "So, after lunch we go and talk to Zhar, alright with you?" he asked.

Malak turned slightly to look down at his friend questioningly and then he nodded, "Yeah that would be fine. After that, you have to tell me what's up with you though, brother." Malak said this so only Revan could hear him.

Revan looked up at his six foot five inch friend. Malak's blue eyes fixed on him in seriousness.

"Fine, but its nothing, really." Revan said waving it off.

"But, you on the other hand, Mak, you need a hair cut." Revan said this smirking and pointing to Malak's mop of black hair that fell over his ears and into his eyes.

Malak scowled lightly, "what? Are you suggesting that I go bald or something?"

"Maybe, it certainly couldn't _hurt_ your appearance any…." Revan laughed.

Malak made an attempt to smack Revan upside the head, but Revan's Force senses, and blood kicked in, causing Malak to miss entirely.

"Stinking Echani reflexes." Malak mumbled shoving his hands into his outside pockets.

Revan chuckled and followed his out- of – sorts friend into the line for food.

"_Half_ Echani, Mak." Revan corrected.

"Yeah, whatever. It still stinks like a pile of mynock droppings that I cant hit you fast enough, though." Malak grumbled.

Revan smirked, but inwardly his stomach sunk lower than he thought was possible as he remembered his dream from last night. The blood, the muck, the noise and heat from the explosions, it was exactly like he had been there again, in that hell….

Revan accepted the lunch he was handed by the padawan on lunch duty. Barely noting that the poor kid didn't look too happy about _this_ job. Revan followed Malak to an empty table, where they ate in a companionable silence. Brothers didn't need to speak all the time, they just got it.

As soon as they had finished their lunches, the pair went down to the open area that was kept on the second floor for sparring. After searching for a few moments Revan puzzled realized that he could not locate Master Zhar. He related this to Malak who nodded and said, "I cannot sense Master Zez-Kai Ell either, maybe they are on a mission?" He asked no one in particular.

Revan looked at Malak sharply and said: "Vandar will know."

Malak nodded his agreement and the pair trooped back up to the third floor of the building.

* * *

Master Vandar Tokare sat quietly as the two young Jedi Knights approached him cautiously. Pretending to be deep in meditation, Vandar proceeded to ignore them.

Revan and Malak sat in front of the diminutive light green alien quietly, waiting for acknowledgement. After a moment, Vandar gave up on his most recent attempt at meditation and opened his eyes to the pair.

"Yes, Young Revan and Malak? You have come with questions?" Vandar asked insightfully.

Revan inclined his head respectfully to the smallest Jedi Master.

"We have, Master Vandar."

"And, those would be?" Vandar asked, curious.

"Malak and myself were wondering where our former masters were. Master Kavar believed them to be here, but Malak and I have searched for their presence, and we have found that they are indeed, not here." Revan explained softly.

Vandar nodded and waved a small three fingered hand dismissively, "They were given new postings."

Malak and Revan glanced at each other in surprise, "New postings?" Malak asked, slightly in shock.

Vandar raised a fuzzy white eyebrow, "Indeed, the council had need of them elsewhere."

"Is there any way to get in touch with either of them?" Revan asked quickly, causing Malak to turn and give him a strange look.

Vandar, looking somewhat intrigued by Revan's insistence responded, "They are on Dantooine, in the Enclave. We needed more Jedi there to handle the amount of young ones coming from the surrounding planets to learn our ways."

Revan nodded in assent to Vandar's words, "Master Vandar, would it be too much to ask you to allow Malak and I to go to Dantooine for a short time?"

Vandar considered it for a moment, and then inquired, "You would be staying among the Jedi there?"

"Yes." Revan replied.

Malak was doing his best not to look too amazed at how well this conversation was turning out. But, that was Revan he seemed to have an effect on people, he always seemed to get his way. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing, Revan's ideas were good.

"Very well, they could always use more help. Leave whenever you wish, and take a larger ship with you. I have a strange feeling that you will need it, young one."

Revan thanked Master Vandar and the pair of Knights rose, and left the Master to his newest attempt of quiet meditation.

"Well that went, well. Didn't it?" Malak asked no one in particular.

"Yep, it's a part of my charm, didn't you know?" Revan replied in jest.

"Oh?" Malak questioned, "I thought you were quite the idiot actually." Malak said flashing his 'good little padawan' smile.

"Malak?" Revan asked.

"Yes, Revvy?"

"Are you sure you know that you're an ass?"

Malak just laughed. As Revan realized that luckily, his friend had completely forgotten to ask him about his nightmare. _That's all right then, I don't have to explain anything about that day now._ Revan thought, his pained memories wouldn't be dumped on the man he considered his brother if he could do anything about it.

The pair passed by the small media room that was kept for the Jedi who were laid up with injuries or just bored with no missions to do. The thing that caught Revan's eye, and made him stop abruptly, causing Malak to bump into him, was the headline on the holo.

'Mass genocide of Cathar. Mandalorians raze planet to the ground.'

Revan's blood ran cold.

* * *

And so it begins. Well, it already began, but the mandalorians are getting far more serious...Wow, I hope this chapter answers some of the questions that you had, or maybe it just created a few more... I would really like some feed back from you guys! It makes me happy and more motivated to churn out more chapters quickly!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I cannot believe that I forgot to put one of these in here! I do not own Star Wars... the amazing and brilliant George Lucas does. bows down all hail Georgie!

* * *

**Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories, Specifics: unknown. Time: 2200 Hours (RST)**

Aiden could not see anything. _Either I'm unconscious, or, I'm blindfolded._

He thought listening intently for a few moments the only sounds he could make out were the snores of the mandalorians that had captured him, nighttime insects, and the breeze going through the savannah grasses.

Aiden also, happily noted that the toxin the mandalorians had given him, whatever it had been, had worn off completely.

Aiden realized that his captors had put all of their confidence into the toxin, because the only things tied up were his feet.

Aiden was also pleased to find that he had built up a small amount of his depleted Force powers.

It was just enough to get him out of a tough situation, like this one.

Aiden touched his head to find the blindfold's tie and swiftly removed it. He peered about at the camp the mandalorians had made.

All of them were asleep, their helmets removed.

The fire flickered only a small bit as it made one last valiant attempt at staying lit.

The blue armored mandalorians were completely oblivious to most everything going on around them, clearly not expecting Aiden or anyone else to cause them much trouble.

Pleased with his findings, Aiden proceeded to untie his feet, only too late in realizing that the strong cording they had tied him up with was also tied to a rather large mandalorians arm.

Said large mandalorian was watching the sandy blond haired Jedi attempt to untie him.

Aiden gazed sharply at the black haired mandalorian in _red_ armor; the equivalent of a Republic sergeant, and the highest rank in the current mandalorian squad. Or, at least that is what Revan had told him.

"I was under the impression that Jedi were smart." The mandalorian said so that only Aiden could hear him.

"We are," Aiden responded equally quiet, "The problem is, you mandalorians believe yourselves to be equally smart."

The red armored mandalorian had obviously underestimated the danger the wounded Jedi represented; the mandalorian looked surprised, as he had no chance to reply, Aiden had already put him in a Force stun.

Aiden swiftly finished untying himself and stood. Then he promptly searched the pack that belonged to the red armored warrior.

Inside were his lightsabers and the data pads he had traversed so far to obtain.

Aiden looked at the warrior he had stunned, and promptly knocked him out with a hard hit to the back of his un -helmeted head.

Nodding in satisfaction that no others had been woken by the exchanges, Aiden stealthily took off into the night.

As soon as Aiden was clear of the mandalorian camp, he collapsed in a heap of pain.

Gritting his teeth, Aiden put a hand to his side feeling the dampness of blood that had seeped through his outer robes.

Aiden looked around for a moment and spotted a tree. Gingerly pushing himself up, Aiden moved over to it.

The process was even more painful than trying to be stealthy with his wound. Aiden bit back a yelp as he grabbed onto one of the branches, and pulled himself into the hidden depths of the tree with his last bit of strength.

The twenty one year old Kenobi grimaced as he again put his hand to his side. This time however, in an attempt to heal it somewhat with the Force.

Aiden had never been any great shakes with _healing_ Force powers, but he knew enough to make the bleeding finally stop. He _was _a Guardian, after all, he was an excellent saber duelist; however, his 'more involved' Force powers were not at all like his half-Echani friend's.

He pulled his hand away and leaned his head back against the trunk of the gnarled old tree he had yanked himself into. He looked up at the sky for a moment and cursed inwardly. It was clouding up. It was going to _rain._

_Absolutely wonderful._ Aiden thought sarcastically, with no amusement towards his current situation.

Aiden closed his eyes, wholly exhausted.

His Force powers depleted, and wounded in the side, Aiden hoped fervently that someone would come along that was not a mandalorian, and soon.

**

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**

**Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories, Jedi Enclave. Time 2300 Hours (RST)**

Zhar Lestin and Vrook Lamar stood in the relative calm of the Jedi Enclave's central courtyard, next to the rather large fountain at its center.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Zhar asked quietly.

Vrook shook his head, his expression grim. "I am afraid not. The Jedi team we sent out to aid the planet reported back what I told you, verbatim."

Zhar closed his eyes in deep thought. "Do you think your padawan is alright?" he asked finally.

Vrook looked up at the navy blue sky just over the courtyard.

It was the only patch that was not currently covered with grey storm clouds. It barely revealed the twin moons overhead.

"I do not know, yet. Time will tell me, or perhaps even Bastila herself shall tell me if she is alright or not."

Zhar replied without opening his eyes, "I would hope so, for your sake Vrook. Padawans are difficult things to understand, after all. And your padawan is but fourteen."

Vrook nodded in assent and was quiet.

"A strong presence is approaching us rapidly." Zhar said after a moment.

Vrook, again, said nothing, but heightened his senses to the point where he could hear a small ship dropping into the atmosphere.

He then saw the small craft after a few moments.

A Jedi fighter.

After a few more seconds it swooped in a wide arc and gracefully touched down, on one of the small spaces of the enclave's landing pad.

Four minutes after he landed, a very tired and very concerned Master Kavar walked through the front doors of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine.

As he entered the central courtyard he spotted the two Jedi whose presences he had been feeling since he had entered the planet's atmosphere. They were standing next to the large stone fountain at the center of the courtyard. The nighttime floating plants were just beginning to open.

_So is the sky._ Kavar noted immediately looking to the stormy atmosphere. The thunderheads were becoming tall, and looking decidedly nasty.

_If Aiden's out there, I must leave now. I sense that he will be in trouble if I do not go._ Kavar thought to himself.

He strode to Zhar and Vrook quickly.

Master Zhar's eyes were closed in deep thought, and Master Vrook's eyes were turned toward the cloudy skies.

Kavar cleared his throat quietly as he came up next to them.

Zhar opened his eyes to his fellow Jedi. "Good to see you, my friend."

Kavar nodded and attempted the good natured smile he was known for, failing terribly.

"I was informed that my former padawan is on planet, and he has not yet reported back to this council." Kavar said solemnly.

It was Vrook's turn to look at the famed Jedi guardian. "Knight Kenobi did not return on time. He has been gone for two extra days. We attempted to contact him via comlink, but he did not respond." Vrook affirmed.

Kavar let out a great sigh of exasperation. Not with Vrook, but with Aiden._ What has gotten into him?_ Kavar thought crossly.

"Will you go and look for him?" Zhar asked, in his normal low tone.

Kavar nodded wearily, "You know how it is, Zhar. I think of Aiden as though he were my son, or perhaps even my brother. I cannot in good conscience _not_ look for him."

"Very well, Master Kavar. May the Force be with you." Zhar said after a moment.

Kavar dipped his blond head in acknowledgement and swept past the fountain, and out of the courtyard. He was onto the plains in what Vrook was certain of, was record time.

"It would seem that our padawans, formerly and otherwise are going slowly insane."

Vrook surmised after an instant of thought.

Zhar motioned his agreement with a thoughtful bow of the head.

"It would appear so, Master Vrook."

* * *

Bastila lay awake. One looking at her from any angle would have thought that she found the ceiling a very interesting topic of study.

Bastila bit her lip reciting the Jedi code to herself mentally.

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

_There is no passion, there is serenity…_ Bastia's smoky blue eyes teared up as she struggled to control her turbulent emotions.

_There is no chaos, there is harmony…_. The first tear slipped down her face, giving way to the rest of the flood.

She could taste the metallic blood in her mouth as she continued to bite down on her lip too hard.

"There is n-no d-d-death…." She trailed off in an attempt to keep the sobs in. she took in a shuddering breath, only to cry harder.

"There is the Force." She choked out, finally allowing the sorrow to consume her being for a time.

Bastila mourned for the people who had raised her until she had joined the Jedi.

They had left Talravin on one of their treasure hunts, only to end up dead on Chandrila, an agricultural world.

It had been raided by mandalorians, under orders to destroy any of these agriworlds so that they could not supply worlds that did not have much farmland.

Bastila continued to cry and turned onto her left side putting her hands over her pale face, her whole body shaking with grief.

She stayed like this until she felt sleep claim her bone weary body.

* * *

Author's notes: Well, I'm sorry for the sad chapter; but, it is nessecary to the rest of the story. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Thank you whoever recently gave me my first review! Even if you are anonymous! You really made my day!

I really love feedback! Please give me constructive critisicm! I do make an attempt for each chapter to be better than the last, and your comments really do help!

Later,

scatcat517


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No, seriously people, I do not own Star Wars... I wish I did. But if I owned Star Wars, it would be kinda crazy.- scratches head sheepishly- hee hee...

* * *

**Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories, Specifics: unknown. Time: 1000 Hours (RST).**

Kavar had sped out of the Enclave and on to the plains. Then, he had made a quick stop at a close by shop.

He had promptly rented the banged up red and brown speeder that was out front.

He then found out why the green twi'lek had looked so surprised when he had asked to borrow the thing.

Kavar kept his eyes forward on the plains as they sped by in a golden sea of savannah grasses.

The grass was somewhat matted looking from the hard rain they had received all night Kavar had been effectively soaked in the

downpour, making his mood even more sour.

The sky remained cloudy overhead.

The clouds looking like they would simply build themselves up again to pour out some more rain.

This particular speeder made a number of strange noises, convincing Kavar that it would fall apart quite soon.

Hopefully it would not before he reached Aiden.

* * *

**Space. Between Coruscant and Dantooine. Time: 1200 Hours (RST)**

Revan sat as calmly as he could in the pilot's seat of his newly acquired ship. He looked over at Malak who was snoring lightly as he slept; his feet propped up on a plastisteel cylinder, leaning back comfortably in his seat.

At the moment, Revan envied Malak's calm demeanor. Scowling slightly, Revan shifted in his seat, and then leaned forward to check the ship systems again.

Malak had made a point to tell him earlier that the ship was not going to change every two seconds, _might as well relax._ Malak had said.

Revan had waved it off nonchalantly, but Malak knew that Revan was in a terrible mood, one, because of the Cathar genocide. And two, because Aiden, the pair's only other close friend had not reported back from the mission Revan had sent him on. He had been gone for three extra days, in fact.

Revan sighed and leaned back in his seat, running his right hand through his hair, the other on the arm rest.

He felt great responsibility for his friends, and if Aiden was in danger…._don't think about that._ Revan chastised himself mentally.

He stood up and stretched his tan, muscled frame. Too many hours spent in a chair at a single time was never a good thing.

Revan walked out of the cockpit and down the corridor, into the 'kitchen'. This 'kitchen' was really, only a food synthesizer and a caffa maker.

Moseying over to the cabinets above the food synthesizer, Revan went through each, finally finding the caffa.

Seconds later he was wrangling with the obstinate caffa machine. After pushing some buttons and finding the 'on' switch, it began to work.

Revan went to the table at the center of the small room and sat down in one of the slightly rickety chairs. Luckily the table and chairs were both bolted down to the floor, so he did not have to worry about the thing moving on him.

Revan propped his elbows up on the table and rubbed his temples, stressed. Letting out a frustrated sigh Revan allowed his head and hands to drop to the table. He closed his eyes with the intention of simply allowing them to rest for a moment; however, the lethargy he had been feeling for some time caught up with him, and in moments he was fast asleep.

_

* * *

_

_Screams. _

_She was reaching out to him._

_No. not to him, to the man standing next to her._

_Why? _

_He hurt her. He hurt her so many times._

_Why?_

_He yelled at her angrily in unintelligible mando'a. _

_She yelled back in an equally unintelligible strain of mando'a._

_He reached down to grab her ritual brand double blade. She snarled at him almost like an animal, and used whatever strength she had to yank back as he attempted to tug it away from her_

"_Never." She whispered, her voice strained with pain, hatred, loathing, anger, and an emotion that resembled animosity._

_She was strong, stronger than him, and he knew it, the damn mandalorian knew it._

_He bent toward her and took off his red helmet. He whispered something in her ear inaudibly and turned to face Revan--._

Revan sat up with a gasp. His pulse raced, as though he had just run across planets. He looked up.

Malak was sitting quietly across from him, drinking a cup of caffa. He motioned to an identical cup next to Revan's right elbow.

It took Revan a moment to come fully back into reality as he reached for the cup. He pulled it in front of himself and let it sit. He stared into the black liquid. Malak took a sip of his and put it down.

" We'll arrive in about two hours, Rev." Malak said in a low voice.

Revan acknowledged this slightly by bringing his eyes up to meet Malak's steady gaze.

His brother stared back. Malak cleared his throat, " You don't want to talk about it, then?" he asked, concerned.

Revan shook his head in a definite negative. " No Mak. I'm fine, it was nothing."

Malak looked at him quizzically. " I don't believe you, actually. Rev, you're great at persuading people that you're right; but this time you don't have me convinced."

Revan winced slightly at his friend's words, but remained silent.

Malak saw this as a sign that he would get no more out of his brown haired friend and got up, taking his caffa with him.

"Right, I'm going back to the cockpit. If you need anything, yell at me." Malak related this and then walked back to his seat in the other room.

Revan exhaled slowly, he hadn't even realized he had been holding his breath.

_Why can't I tell him?_ Revan mentally asked himself._ He's like a brother, so, why can't I tell him?_

Revan took a sip of his caffa a few minutes later.

It tasted like dirt.

But it was caffeine, so he couldn't complain. It would hopefully keep him awake. Therefore, _keep away that memory._ Revan thought, as he downed the rest of the cup.

* * *

**Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories, Plains. Time: 1700 Hours (RST)**

Aiden had woken to the sound of heavy footfalls on wet grass. The grass made a strange squeaky noise when one of the mandalorians slipped on it going down the small ridge that was between Aiden's hiding place and their old camp.

The men had talked to each other not forty feet from where Aiden was sitting in the gnarled old tree.

"_Di'kut!" (1)one of them shouted through his blue armor at his companion as they came to the spot Aiden had collapsed in last night._

"_Udesii!"(2) the other said steadily, holding up a hand to his friend. "Mayc jetii, shabiir." (3) _

_This had been several hours ago, and had ended in both the mandalorians moving back up the hill, seemingly giving up on where the wounded Jedi had gone._

_Aiden, had remained on guard for all the hours afterward however. He was not one to enjoy being caught off guard, only to fall out of a very uncomfortable tree._

_Thankfully the tree's foliage was plenty thick enough to hide the young Knight, so no matter how often the mandalorians came around they had not yet seen him._

_Aiden was exceptionally grateful that none of them had yet considered that he would have pulled himself into this tree._

_But, he feared that soon they would wise up and come over to have a look. And when they did, he would be thrown to a school full of_ _firaxa sharks._

A few hours after this transpired, the mandalorians came out of their camp in full force. The red armored sergeant apparently having recovered from his bash on the back of the head. Aiden hoped quietly that it had left a nasty bump on the back of the black haired man's skull.

This time, the group did not idly wander about when looking for the Jedi. They searched thoroughly, every possible space.

Spaces that Aiden had not even thought about hiding in were searched. And finally the group came toward his spot. The red armored sergeant stood a little ways off as the blue armored grunts checked out the tree.

Aiden held his breath and squished himself up against the tree as much as he could muster. He couldn't see much, but he could hear the mandalorians going around the base of the tree.

They spoke to each other quietly in their native tongue, and after a few moments they moved away from it, back to their commander. They conversed briefly and then the red armored leader leveled his heavily modified blaster rifle at the branch Aiden was sitting in. he didn't say anything, he simply shot.

Aiden felt the power blast go directly through his upper body. It broke his collar bone on contact, and then came out the back. Splattering his precious blood on the bark of the tree around a dark bit of carbon scoring from the rifle's blast.

Aiden fell out of his tree.

He was sure, as the mandalorians approached, he was a dead man. That he had never had the chance to get the data pads to Revan. To help the republic.

The blow from the red clad mando never came.

There was a rapid powering down of a beat up red and brown speeder, and the distinctive _snap-hiss_ of a pair of sabers. One regular, one shoto.

Looking upwards slightly, Aiden could see Kavar cutting his way through the mandalorian group.

The last thing that Aiden Kenobi saw as the world went black, was his own blood pooling around him And master Kavar looking down at him with the utmost concern written over his middle aged face.

_Hang in there, Aiden._

* * *

**Dantooine , Outer Rim Territories. Jedi Enclave. Time: 0900 Hours(RST)**

It had taken eighteen hours to find Aiden. An extra hour to stabilize him from his loss of blood. And then another eighteen to get him back to the enclave.

Kavar sat quietly on the rim of the fountain in the central courtyard. He watched as the small night blooming plants floated around the surface. The small fish nibbling at the roots of some, and sometimes a small flying creature would perch on the rim of the fountain, like Kavar, to watch.

The Jedi healers had said they would need time to make sure Aiden would actually_ make it _out of his current condition. His current condition, consisted of an oxygen mask, an i.v. and many other monitors beeping and flashing, hooked up to Aiden's prone form.

Revan and Malak had shown up, Kavar was told, several hours after himself, at about 1400 hours. They had asked questions, and waited as patiently as they could to hear about their friend.

Kavar let out a tired sigh, and stood up. Straightening his robes slightly, he walked to the room he had been provided. He could do nothing but wait to hear what the healers would say. And in the meantime, he would take a much needed several hours of sleep. Perhaps when he woke up, the man he considered his son would be alright. Perhaps this would all just turn out to be a bad dream.

Thunder rolled over head, and lightning flashed. The rain pelted against the enclave windows. This storm would be quite something.

* * *

Mandalorian translations: 1.means: moron, idiot etc...

2.means: calm down.

3.means: there's no jedi here, you screw up.

* * *

Sorry if this update was a little overdue. I try to update in about three days... I hope you guys like this chapter. You'll figure out some more stuff next chapter... No, I shall not divulge any more information to you right now... grrrrrr... no... seriously, wait for the next update dammit! I promise it'll be soon! -makes Malak's, innocent little padawan face-...


	6. Chapter 5

Quick note: thank you so very much to hmmm and Anthony van Leuvan for reviewing my story! you people make my day!

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. If I did, I would be George Lucas, which is kinda weird, cuz I'm a girl...

* * *

**Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories. Jedi Enclave. Time: 1400 Hours. (RST)**

When Aiden woke up, he felt decidedly numb. Not emotionally, but physically; he could not feel any of his limbs.

This was not entirely unwelcome, since the last thing that Aiden could remember before he blacked out was pain. So much pain, you wish you would die just to make it stop.

Slowly Aiden turned his head left, and blinked. His eyes were bleary with sleep and whatever they had been giving him for the pain.

There were two people in the room. One was crashed out on the seat near the window, the other was sitting on the window sill, next to the closed window. There was a light, detectable pinging sound as water pelted the window.

After a few moments of lying still, Aiden became focused enough to see who the people were. Malak, made light snoring noises as he slept on the seat. On the sill, Revan sat quietly, legs drawn up into a meditative pose.

Revan's brown hair was falling across his face, creating jagged shadows over his eyes and cheeks. He was wearing his brown and cream Jedi robes, as was Malak. His amber eyes snapped open.

" You're awake. How do you feel?" Revan asked, quietly.

Aiden replied as soon as he found some voice, it came out dry and raspy, " Numb."

Revan nodded and stood swiftly. He grabbed a water bottle from the stand next to Aiden's bed and uncapped it holding it out for his friend to take. Aiden took several grateful gulps and handed it back. Revan recapped it and waited for Aiden to speak.

" There were a lot of mandalorians. There was a main camp of them on the far end of this continent, like you said. I got the data pads from them, but I was pursued by a small group of them. They had wounded me at the main camp, so taking me down wasn't all that hard for the other group to do. If Kavar hadn't showed up when he did, I would probably be very, very, dead." Aiden said all this quietly, looking down at the white sheets covering his legs.

Revan seemed to process this statement. He crouched down next to his friend's bed.

" I am sorry that I put you into that situation, Aiden." He said in a low tone, looking down at his boots.

Aiden looked up at his friend sharply, " are you saying that you won't let me do this sort of mission work again?" he asked almost angrily.

Revan looked up, shocked by the reaction he got from Aiden. " What?" he asked.

" What do you mean, what?" Aiden muttered, " I got you the bloody data pads, didn't I?"

"well, yes but-" Revan was cut off.

" what do you mean, but? I did the job, and I expect to do more like them. I heard about Cathar, and we heard about Althir, and Chandrila. I am doing this, going against the Order with you and Malak and whoever else you've organized, in order to stop things like that from happening. Got it?" Aiden said this fiercely, his eyes smoldering with anger towards the mandalorians for what they had done to the worlds he had named.

Revan nodded in resignation and stood.

" I'm glad you're okay though, the healers had a fit when they saw how bad it was." Revan said smirking slightly. He then saw Aiden's confused look.

" Your shoulder. It was torn up, and your collar bone is broken, and your left leg. Apparently you fell out of a really big tree…" Revan trailed off, seeing the indignant look on the Kenobi's face. He tried very hard not to burst out laughing at that moment.

Malak had woken up during the exchange, and he used no such discretion however, and proceeded to crack up at the Kenobi's facial expression. Both Revan and Aiden gave Malak looks of reprisal.

Malak was laughing too hard to take any notice, but soon recovered. Clutching his sides, he turned to Aiden.

" I'm glad you're okay too. It would have been sad to lose you, friend. Even though I _would_ get far fewer pranks pulled on me…." Malak mused putting his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner.

Revan rolled his eyes at the tall Knight and gave him a look of exasperation.

A young female Jedi healer came in to the room, and looked startled to find two more men than she was told were there.

"Um…" she murmured uncertainly, " I am here to tend Jedi Kenobi. I will need space,

"Revan." Revan told her in a courteous voice, " my friend Malak and I would be more than happy to move for you."

Malak stood, taking his queue and walked out the open door, past the somewhat frazzled looking healer. Revan waved to Aiden, who looked somewhat sour now, and walked out the door and into the hallway.

"So, we still need to talk to Master Zhar." Malak said once the door was closed, and the healer could not hear them.

"Yes, but I think we should leave that until later. I'll talk to him personally after dinner, I have a feeling that if I catch him without any other masters around, he'll tell me more." Revan explained so that only Malak could hear him.

Malak nodded, understanding his friend's reasoning. " alright, then. Master Vrook says that Master Ell was sent on a mission for this enclave two days ago, and is not due back for another month. But if master Zhar tells us what we need to know, we won't have to find him anyway."

"Let's hope that Zhar will tell us what's going on then." Revan replied evenly. " I'm going to the indoor sparring room. You?" he asked.

Malak shook his head, " Nah, I'm going to find something to eat, I'm starving."

"when are you not?" Revan retorted with his smirk.

Malak laughed and walked away, as he did this he made a rude hand gesture directed towards Revan, causing the shorter Knight to chuckle.

* * *

A few minutes of walking and Revan found himself in the sparring chambers. He promptly noticed that he was not alone in the room.

A young woman, no, a girl. Younger than himself, she had a serious expression on her face as she went through saber stances, her back turned to him. Revan stood there watching her for a while.

Her form was somewhat shaky, her foot work was good though. However she needed more direction with her saber.

"is there a reason you are staring at me?" she asked finally, sounding a bit peeved and deactivating her yellow single hilt.

Revan shook himself out of his analysis.

"you need help with your saber work. Your foot work is decent, but that could also improve." He replied automatically.

She did not seem to take offense to his bluntness. Actually she seemed to contemplate what to do with this new information.

"How could I fix it?" she asked after a few moments, turning to face him.

Revan studied her face for a moment. It was pale, like her hands. She had dark brown hair that was tied back multiple times and eventually went down into a pair of tails at the base of her neck. Her eyes were a shocking blue grey, and her mouth was set in a permanent stubborn position. She had a regal air about her, like she was completely sure of herself. But then, there was a flash of uncertainty in her eyes, and Revan smiled.

"I could use a sparring partner right now actually, my friend I usually spar with went to get something to eat." Revan told her.

The girl's eyes lit up at the prospect of learning something new, and sparring someone different.

"alright, what is your name, by the way?" the girl asked after an instant of thought.

"Revan." He replied, " how about you? What's your name?"

"Bastila Shan." She replied easily, activating her saber.

Revan nodded and grabbed one of his two green blades, activating it swiftly.

"Alright, lets begin." He said. And the pair began to circle.

When Malak had come to the sparring chamber, what he expected to find was Revan going through simple stances by himself.

He was almost surprised when he came in and found he was sparring with a padawan and giving her pointers as they fought.

What came as more of a surprise, was the fact that the padawan was actually a pretty good Force user and duelist for one her age.

The pair spun around each other, Revan going slower than he normally did, and tuning his abilities down quite a bit, but the girl was keeping up. _This is more than most people who sparred Revan could say. _Malak thought.

It was a dance of green and yellow. Blow meeting blow, parry meeting parry.

A pair of whirls moving at a rather rapid pace around the room .

_they've drawn a crowd._ Malak noted as he saw quite a few other padawan who had come in on the match standing a safe distance away, but watching intently.

Every so often Revan would say something to Bastila and she would reply to him in an equally blunt manner.

when Revan saw Malak, he realized that his friend would probably want to talk about something, considering that he had an extremely curious look on his normally easy to read face.

After a few more moments Revan stepped back and deactivated his saber. Bastila immediately stopped and turned her saber off as well. She looked up at Revan in curiosity.

"You were holding back." She said bluntly.

Revan nodded," I was."

"You're really good. What rank are you?" Bastila asked after a moment.

"I was Knighted about eight months ago." He responded, noticing that the group of padawan was slowly breaking apart, and Mak was walking over to him and Bastila.

"That was something." Malak said as he came closer.

"who's he?" Bastila asked craning her neck to look up at Malak.

Revan snorted, " my usual sparring partner and best friend, Malak Squinquargesimus. Usually he is called Mak, or as Aiden calls him, Squinty."

Malak 'hmphed' and stuck his hand out for the padawan to shake, which she did.

" You two know Aiden?" she inquired thoughtfully.

"Yes." The pair replied in unison.

They scowled at each other for a few seconds and Revan answered her. " We've know him since we were eight and nine respectively. He' s a year older than Mak, and two years older than me."

"oh." Bastila said understanding. " that makes sense I suppose. I hear he was hurt coming back from his last mission. Is he alright?" she queried after a beat of silence.

Revan dipped his head gently in affirmative to Bastila. " he's going to be fine."

"Oh, good." Bastila said looking concerned for Aiden's welfare. " whenever I have spoken with him, he has been very kind. I would be sad if something horrible happened to him."

"so would we." Malak interjected when she finished. "hey, look, you two don't have to finish your sparring match on my account. really. go ahead, I don't mind watching."

Revan looked up at his black haired friend. " well, actually I was thinking that you would be of more assistance to her than I am, because you teach back on Coruscant anyway."

Bastia's eyes widened at the mention of the capitol world. " you teach on Coruscant?" she asked, somewhat in awe.

"yeah, younglings. They're sweet little kids, but they're a handful, always." Malak sighed remembering all the little problems he always had to sort out.

" well, could you help me?" Bastila asked eagerly.

Malak looked slightly bewildered that someone had intentionally asked for _his help_. Usually it was that people went straight to Revan for this sort of thing. But he found himself agreeing, and the pair of knights ended up assisting the fourteen year old with her saber skills until dinner.

In the dining hall, it was busy. But after a few minutes of searching the three finally found a seat and Malak dug happily into his nerf-steak and protato.

Bastila looked stunned at how much food the tall knight could put away.

"Where does it all go?" she asked Revan quietly.

Revan shrugged, " No, clue. The man is a bottomless pit."

"oiamnofahbo'omesspitt." Malak said with his mouth full.

"Ew, Mak, that's nasty. Chew and swallow, man." Revan said looking like he might gag.

Malak swallowed, " I am not a bottomless pit."

" Sure Mak, whatever you say." Revan 'agreed'.

Bastila snickered at the look Malak was giving Revan.

The rest of dinner, luckily , went without further nastiness.

* * *

It was just after dusk when Revan finally caught up with his former master.

Zhar was sitting in the archives with a data pad in hand. He looked up when his young friend entered.

Revan took the seat across from him.

"what brings you to Dantooine, my old padawan?" Zhar asked, calm.

"something that master Kavar said to Malak and me." Revan said slowly meeting Zhar's eyes. Zhar stared at him for a moment and motioned for Revan to continue.

"he says that there are things that the council is not telling us about. Things that concern the war. That concerns the mandalorians."

Zhar pondered his answers to these questions for a good couple of minutes, placing his data pad down on the table, and crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned back in his chair.

" I do not think that it is wise to tell you what I know." Zhar said finally.

"what?" Revan said after a moment. " you mean that Malak and I traveled all this way only to be told that 'you don't think it's wise?'" Revan began to show his frustration with the situation.

"People are in danger on the front lines **now**, the Republic **needs** the Jedi's help. They are **losing** this war. The mandalorians are trampling them. Master, I am asking you to tell me, or I will go out there and find out myself."

Zhar simply stared at his former padawan for a moment, trying to figure out how not to tell him everything. But then, he said exasperatedly, " you just don't give up do you?"

Revan pulled a wry smile, " not really, no, Master."

"alright. The council thinks that there is something else out there. Besides the mandalorians." Zhar said drumming his brownish-purple fingers on the table.

"like what?" Revan inquired.

"Like, something dark. Master Vandar felt something out there, and even he doesn't know what it is. But whatever it is, it has pushed the entire mandalorian race into this war, whether they know it or not."

Revan sat back now, deep in thought. The air around him practically buzzed with activity as he thought. He looked at Zhar whose eyes were fixed on him.

"what will you do now Revan?" Zhar asked after a moment, slicing through the silence like a vibroblade.

" I will probably leave. I think that the order is not doing nearly enough to keep the vows they made to the Republic. I cannot in good conscience sit here and do nothing. And neither can Malak or Aiden. They have both told me so."

Zhar pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand that had not been drumming the table. He let out a breath he had been holding in.

"Will you try to stop us, Master?" Revan asked finally. Squinting at Zhar who looked older than he ever had at that moment.

Zhar gazed upon the young man he had trained and shook his head, " no, I will not stop you."

With that Revan stood and pushed in his chair. He thanked Zhar for the information and left.

Zhar stared at the doors Revan had just walked out of, wondering what would become of the one he had trained.

* * *

ahem, revan met bastila... revan and the gang are going to war... they get to go to a new planet next chapter... and more stuff'll happen. yeah. oh and by the way, those are actual star wars foods that malak is eating... so um, yeah. go me! next chapter will be soon.


	7. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! I have updated three times this weekend and gotten several hundred hits on this story, yet, no one has reviewed... this makes me sad... -weeps-. Pretty please review, I adore constructive critisicm!

Disclaimer: I am not Georgie, therefore, I do not own Star Wars. I wish I did...

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* * *

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**Two standard weeks later (10 days).Dantooine, Outer Rim Territories. Jedi Enclave Landing pad. Time: 1100 Hours (RST). **

Revan picked up the last few supplies he, Malak and Aiden had bought, and went up the loading ramp. He had been surprised that Zhar had agreed to allow them to keep the small ship.

It was relatively fast, had good defense guns and shields- Revan could not find anything wrong with it. _And I'm a mechanic._ Revan thought to himself as he wandered into the small kitchen/ living area.

He deftly put the supplies away and went back outside.

Aiden and Malak were supposed to be back in about fifteen minutes, give or take. Revan turned to look at his ship.

The _Ebon Hawk,_ it was a good little ship so far, Revan hoped that it would last for a good while. After musing for a while he felt a now familiar presence come up behind him.

She came and stood next to him quietly, but said after a moment. "Why are you leaving?"

Revan looked down at the shorter girl; she was not looking up at him, but seemingly, _glaring_ at his _ship._

"I, Malak and Aiden, have decided that the council is not doing enough to help the people they vowed to protect. Were leaving to see what we can do to help." He said after studying her. Her face scrunched up in thought, and pain at this statement, causing Revan to wonder why.

"My parents were killed during the raid on Chandrila, but you don't see me gallivanting off to join the fight. The masters are obviously cautioning us for a reason. You do not seem to understand that, however." Bastila said back frowning.

Revan sighed sadly, "I _am_ sorry about your parents, Bastila. And I know why the masters are cautioning the Jedi. I know what I'm getting myself into, okay?"

Bastila looked up at him finally and then turned away quickly. "I still don't like it." She mumbled.

Revan grinned slightly. "Sorry."

"You're not sorry. Don't bother saying it." Bastila said churlishly crossing her arms over her chest and brown Jedi robes.

She was almost certainly agitated with him. Revan smirked at her lightly, and put his right hand on her left shoulder.

"Are you worried about me, padawan Shan?" he asked teasingly.

Bastila, unexpectly, went a light shade of red when he said this. "Why would I be?" she replied stubbornly after a moment. "I am not incapable of finding a new sparring partner."

Revan's face fell a little, but then he hid it with a grin. He turned her to face him.

"I know you're worried about me." Revan said quietly, in all seriousness. "I _promise_ I will be careful."

Bastila looked down at her boots, skeptical. Revan gently put a hand under her chin and pulled her face upwards to look at his own.

"You'll be in _one_ piece, then?" Bastila asked.

"I will make a serious attempt to be, if that makes you feel better." Revan replied pleasantly.

Bastila bowed her head slightly in acquiescence and her eyes fell on the two knights approaching the _Hawk._

Revan saw her gaze shift and he felt Mak and Aiden's presences coming closer. Revan removed his hands from Bastila's shoulder and chin and turned to them. Malak was weighted down by something exceptionally heavy looking and Aiden was simply carrying a new set of tools.

Aiden's collar bone was still badly bruised and painful so Malak naturally had, pulling faces and moping all the way, agreed to carry the larger stuff. The young Kenobi rolled his eyes at his friend and strolled over to revan.

"We're ready. That was the last of the stuff on your list." He said handing the tool box to Revan.

"alright, will you tell Mak to fire this beauty up? Were going to leave as soon as he finishes that diagnostic he started earlier. I think it will be about five minutes." Revan said to him.

Aiden affirmed this and went up the loading ramp to tell the tall knight.

"so, you're going." Bastila said from behind him.

Revan faced her again and winced slightly. "Yes, I suppose so."

Bastila nodded, looking downcast.

Revan was about to open his mouth to say something to her when he heard Malak's shout, _"Rev, all systems showing green! Let's go!" _

Bastila was still finding her brown boots more interesting than him at the moment.

Revan took the two steps over to her and pulled her into a warm hug. She was stiff for a second against him, but she hugged him back after a moment.

"I'll be careful, Bast." Revan said in a low voice. Bastila nodded against him. "I'll come back in one piece, just for you." he bent down and whispered this into her ear, then released her.

He took his new tool set and walked up the loading ramp of the _Ebon Hawk,_ unable to look back at her; for reasons unknown even to himself.

Bastila watched in silence as the _Ebon Hawk_ took off and slowly disappeared into the atmosphere. She let out a breathy sigh of depression.

Revan had gone.

As she turned to walk inside, she thought about how long it would be until she saw him again. _A while. Maybe years._ Bastila thought mournfully. She then remembered the promise he had made to her, _he did say he would come back in one piece…__**just for me**_.

Bastila blushed exceedingly at this thought and waved it off_, he's too old for me anyway. _Bastila thought to herself forcibly. With that, she walked back into the enclave.

**

* * *

**

**Two days later, Taris, Outer Rim. Time: 1300 Hours. (RST).**

Revan had originally thought that Taris would be a decent place to find some Jedi support in their war effort. He was wrong.

Revan was not often wrong, so when he was, he surprised himself.

Aiden let out an irritated sigh as he came back onto the ship. He found Revan at the workbench messing around with droid parts. Revan looked up from what he was doing momentarily then went back to messing.

"What's up, Aiden?" he asked, looking down.

"no one here likes us." Aiden said leaning against the wall next to the workbench, his arms crossed over his chest.

Revan shook his head, "no, I sense there is something going on here that we do not know about."

"I agree," Malak said as he came on board. "I just found out what, like you asked, Revvy."

Revan put down his hydrospanner and wiped off his hands with a dirty rag.

"well?" he asked.

"several Jedi have been murdered recently. They suspect mandalorian activity in the lower city as well." Malak explained, squinting at the droid parts that were on the 'bench.

"what in the force is that?" he asked pointing.

Revan looked at the droid parts. "a project I'm taking up." He said nonchalantly, "the important thing is finding the people responsible for killing the Jedi. If they are mandalorians, they might have more information for us to go on. When we get some viable info, then we can take it to the Republic. I don't want to rush into anything." He said to his friends.

Aiden nodded contemplatively, "what about the data pads I found?" he asked after a moment. "they have a ton of info on them."

"it's all about things that have already happened." Revan replied with a hint of anger in his voice.

"you read them?" Malak asked.

"yes." Revan answered, "why?"

"aren't they written in mando'a?" Aiden asked, "I couldn't make out what they said, and they weren't in any language that I've seen. I mean, it didn't even look like Echani or anything…."

Revan pulled a face, "I don't _just_ speak mando'a, you two, and I _can_ read it you know."

"oh." Malak said.

"yeah." Aiden nodding towards Malak, "oh."

Revan rolled his eyes at his two brothers and grabbed his utility belt from the workbench. He snapped it on deftly, and started to walk down the ramp.

"Hey, where are you going, Rev?" Aiden asked.

"to a cantina. Usually the locals know a thing or two about goings on." Revan called back.

Malak shrugged to Aiden and followed Revan out. Aiden heard his stomach let out a growl.

He shrugged to himself and followed the other two. _Maybe they serve food there too…._

The cantina they found was not the most savory of places. It was smoky from deathsticks; it smelled of the great unwashed, sweaty and dirty. And it absolutely stank of alcohol.

They had actually, they had gone to another earlier, but the upper city folk had been quite unwilling to tell them anything other than their outfits were terrible…..

Malak frowned slightly as he held his glass of Tarisian ale. The stuff was alright, but not as good as the Alderaanian ale that came from his home planet.

Revan had gone to talk to several other people, such as a very large Hutt by the name of Javyar, and a few different swoop gang bosses who were drinking and gambling nearby.

Aiden had decided to go talk to some mercs in the corner; he was currently beating them at pazaak. The winnings being information.

Malak had been assigned to the burly mandalorian who was currently sitting next to him. The man had black hair that was beginning to grey, in a typical buzz cut; he was, like Malak frowning into his glass. He was not in armor, but civilian-like clothes; plus a very large, heavily modified blaster rifle.

The mandalorian looked up at Malak, scowling.

"what are you lookin' at?"

"not much, it would appear." Malak replied steadily taking a drink of his ale.

The mandalorian smirked lightly. "you're pretty gutsy for a jetii."

"thanks." Malak replied, "I try."

The mandalorian let out a chuckle and picked up his own drink, taking a long draft.

"what's your name, kid?" he asked after setting it down.

"Malak. And yours?"

"Canderous Ordo." The large man said gruffly, "I'm not exactly the type of person you want to cross, kid."

Malak gestured his understanding and leaned back in his chair. He fingered his glass of ale thoughtfully. "I want to know why you're not in uniform." He said finally.

The big mandalorian look pensive for a second and then replied, "I'm off duty. You're obviously jetti, and a new one at that, kid. Take my advice; you don't want to get involved down here. The shits going to hit the fan real soon."

"tell me what I need to know and I won't have to stay, and be in your way." Malak retorted his blue eyes flashing slightly dangerously.

"it depends on what you ask." Canderous said to the young knight.

"what if it involves the murder of several Jedi?" Malak queried inclining his head toward Canderous.

Canderous glowered at the bartender, who had stopped to listen to the conversation. The man gulped visibly and went to the opposite side of the bar where he went to wiping out shot glasses.

"what do you want to know?" Canderous asked Malak, curious.

"what the hell happened?" Malak replied his gaze firm.

Canderous lifted his glass to his lips and finished the rest of his ale in one gulp.

"the thing is, they weren't supposed to die." Canderous explained. "they were in the way, and the squad that had faced them got trigger happy. They shot the damn jetti before they jetti even had time to realize they were there. Those hut'uun, they have no honor in my eyes." His voice was low, as not to carry to any others ears but Malak's.

Malak bowed his head in thanks to the large mandalorian. "I appreciate the info."

"Eleck, whatever." Canderous replied waving the bartender over.

Malak took this as his dismissal and went to find Revan, somewhat pleased with himself for getting the information.

Canderous ordered another ale and sighed wondering, _when the hell did the universe get so damn complicated?_

_

* * *

_

_Hut'uun: cowards_

_Eleck: Yeah._


	8. Chapter 7

_I got the chance to update sooner than I expected! Yay! Thank you to __TimDrakeFanatic__ for reviewing! You made my day! I really love reviews guys and gals! Pretty please review! You'll make me happy if you do!_

Quick Note: this is normal speech.

_This is dreams or thoughts.__** talking in dreams or thoughts. Or when a character gets really, really mad.**_

I just thought I would clarify, just in case….

* * *

**Taris, Outer Rim, Lower City. Javyar's Cantina. Time: 2200 Hours (RST)**

Eight hours of searching for information. The crew of the _Ebon Hawk_ went back to their ship, relatively empty handed. They had gotten only slivers of information, like what Malak got from Canderous. _now, at least we know there are mandalorians on planet._ Revan thought to himself as he trudged down a hallway in the _Hawk_ to the dorms, and his bed.

After speaking to the few swoop gang leaders he had met, and Javyar, he had deducted that the mandalorians were amassing a large amount of themselves, somewhere in the under city.

They were often seen in places like the bar dressed as civilians. But, when they left, it was as though they had disappeared into thin air. No one had been able to find out where they came from, or where they went, they were simply gone.

This had proved to be very frustrating for the three Knights. Aiden had been on watch outside the cantina when he had finished playing pazaak against a bunch of mercs, and he had seen Canderous leave.

As he told Revan, it was as though Canderous had never even been there. When he walked out of the cantina, he had simply evaporated in to thin air.

Revan shook his head as he thought about what these things could mean, and took off his boots. He proceeded to undressed and then dressed in a pair of sweat pants and an old, holey, t-shirt.

He flopped into his bottom bunk bed and then realized he had left the lights on. Groaning in annoyance he decided to be lazy and reached out, effectively turning out the lights with the Force.

He drifted off to sleep in record time.

* * *

"_Never." She snarled, as the red clad mandalorian tried to take her double bladed sword. She yanked back as he took it, with all the strength she had left._

_The mandalorian pulled off his helmet and clipped it to his utility belt. "__**give me the sword, Rae." **__He said gruffly._

"_**never, **__Kalen__**. You have taken this from me for the last time." **__she replied with great animosity. _

_Revan stood stock still as Kalen turned to face him, terror grasped at his young heart as the man said, "perhaps__** I should kill him. He is the reason you are fighting, yes?"**_

_Rae struggled to move, even the slightest amount, but her wounds would not allow it. _

"_**don't you dare touch him!"**__ Rae yelled hoarsely. _

"_**why? What can you do about it, Rae?" **__Kalen yelled back seething with anger, __**"you can't do anything about it! You have never been able to do anything! You, you call yourself an Echani warrior!" **_

"_**you attacked my people!" **__Rae yelled back__** "you attacked them when we had put down our weapons! You coward! How dare you call YOURSELF a warrior!" **__Rae whisper-yelled back._

_Kalen's features flashed with hatred and fury beyond words, he raised his blaster rifle, and aimed at her head at point-blank range…. Then, there was a flash of yellow light…._

Revan jerked upwards in his bed, the movement caused his head to hit the top bunk's underside.

Groaning in pain, he ducked his head out from under the bed and swung his legs off the bed. Revan stood, leaning against the offending top bunk for support. Touching the already nasty bump, Revan channeled some of his healing Force powers into the area.

After a few seconds the pain faded and he could think straight again. Frowning, Revan left the dorm. As he walked out he noticed that Malak was asleep on the bunk opposite of his own, snoring lightly.

_He could sleep through a stampede of tarentateks. _Revan thought sourly.

Aiden however, was not in the bunk he had claimed three days previously. This was typical for the Kenobi; however, he had been like this as a padawan as well.

He would get up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, and show up in the media room. He could often be found there reading a rather length data pad or holocron, on just about anything. Aiden just had a strange sleeping pattern in general. He would sleep during the oddest hours, and wake up in the dead of night fully rejuvenated with nothing better to do than lie around reading

This was, actually, how the two had met in the first place. Revan often had insomnia; he would go various long stretches with very, very little sleep. If any.

They had both showed up in the media room, and talked for a while.

This had been when Revan had first come to Coruscant, and he hadn't spoken much basic. It had been a _very_ short conversation. But, the next day, as if by magic- or the Force- Aiden had introduced Revan to Malak.

Malak and Aiden, over a period of time, somewhat taught Revan-who had an aptitude with languages- basic, and the three became close friends.

Sure enough, Aiden was sitting at the bolted down table in the 'kitchen' with one of the data pads he had retrieved for Revan. He was not reading. He could not, it was in mando'a. he simply stared at the thing, but as Revan entered the small area, he looked up.

"couldn't sleep?" he asked.

Revan shook his head tiredly and sat down in the seat opposite Aiden.

"What about you?" Revan inquired, noting the wince that Aiden gave as he asked.

"couldn't stop thinking about these." Aiden replied gesturing to the data pad he had just set down between them.

Revan nodded, he stared at the writing covered 'pad.

"why did they chase me?" Aiden said suddenly, meaning it as more of a statement than a question. "why did they chase me, if they knew that these damn data pads had _old_ information on them?" Aiden demanded.

Revan looked at Aiden, studying him for a moment.

Aiden ran a hand through his longish blond hair in exasperation, his grey green eyes glaring at the 'pad.

Revan shrugged. He did not know how to respond to this. Actually, he had pondered this question himself for a while.

There had been nothing unusual about the data pad, so the actions of the mandalorians had raised many questions in the nineteen year old's mind.

Sure, he would be angry if someone, Jedi especially, sneaked into his camp and stole information. But giving chase until you killed the person? A _wounded_ person? That was not at all _mandalorian._ Or, at least the honorable ones would have a problem with it.

Revan let out a breath he had been holding unconsciously and brought a hand up to his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in thought.

Aiden put his arms down flat on the table, and then laid his head on them. Staring, or glaring –Revan couldn't decide which- at the data pad in front of him.

After being like this for several minutes, Aiden checked his wrist chrono. **0500 Hours**, (RST). He related this to Revan who stood tiredly, and went to the caffa machine. He they proceeded to mess with it until it decided to work.

Malak wandered in as Revan did this. He went to the chair that was to the right of Aiden and to the left of Revan's, and plopped himself down. Malak yawned hugely and rubbed the back of his black mop-haired head.

"good morning." He said, attempting to be pleasant. Malak had never been much of a morning person.

"morning." Revan mumbled back, staring at the caffa maker, willing it to work faster.

"g'morning." Aiden said, in a slightly clipped tone, as he resumed staring at the data pad, as though it would give him some answers to his questions.

Malak leaned back in his chair and reached for the data pad on the table. Aiden shot him a look that made him retract it, as though burned.

A few minutes later the three sat in silence as they downed copious amounts of caffa, and the gunk that came out of the food synthesizer.

Revan and Aiden eyed it warily; today it seemed to be a different shade of grey. Malak showed no such discretion, and dug right in.

Revan and Aiden watched him for the verdict.

"its not killing me, is it?" Malak asked as he swallowed, watching their strange expressions.

Revan rolled his eyes and began to eat, as did Aiden.

* * *

Several hours later the group stood in the Lower City once more. They had just exited one of the few repulsor lifts, and they stood still, in disgust. People and aliens in cages, many of them. Too many.

Revan seethed with anger as he saw this. But, what caught his attention, and many others in the area, was an ugly slimy toothed many with matted hair, leading a spirited Cathar on a chain.

She was snarling and fighting the whole way, trying to go back down the hall in the opposite direction.

Malak and Aiden watched this in a stunned silence, and it took them a long moment to realize that Revan was storming over to the man angrily. Malak looked about ready to charge after his friend, but Aiden put a hand out in front of the tall Knight, and shook his head.

"Let him handle it, Squinty." Aiden said sadly.

Malak contemplated this for a second and nodded, standing back to watch how this would unfold.

Revan was furious, boiling, raging with anger as he watched the young Cathar dragged on a chain up the grey, riveted hallway. The ugly man cursed and spat at her as he tugged at her leash.

"You stupid animal, **move!"** he yelled, spittle flying everywhere.

The Cathar fought harder still.

The man raised his burly hand to hit her, but the blow never came. The ugly man's fist was stayed by an invisible grasp, a firm grasp.

The man looked at his hand stupidly for a moment; trying to work out why it wasn't going in the direction he wanted it, when he saw Revan.

Revan had an icy look on his face as he went up to the man. Power radiated from his being.

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing?" Revan said dangerously, in a low tone.

The man was belligerent. "What's it looking like? I'm makin' a profit. These Cathar girls go for a lot nowadays. Since the planet's gone now."

Revan raised an eyebrow at the man, "and you have absolutely no problems with selling an intelligent being? A being that is considered your equal, no, scratch that, she's more than your equal. You, you are scum. The type of scum that I wipe off of my boots when I get back from a mission. You are the lowest." Revan snarled in the man's face.

The man gulped audibly, his eyes finally showing his fear. He realized that Revan was not joking.

"I'll give her to ya for a decent price." The ugly man replied in an attempt to appease Revan.

"How about, no." Revan said icily. "How about you release her, and you stay the hell out of the slaving business." He pressed his influence down on the man with the Force. The man's eyes glazed over.

"I'll stay away from the slaving business, yeah. Yeah, I'll do that." Revan released the man, who stumbled away from him, and wandered aimlessly down the hallway in the direction he had come from.

Revan took a deep breath, in an attempt to calm his rage. He looked over at the girl, who had fallen on the ground to avoid being hit by the ugly man. She stared up at him. Her fur was matted allover, her yellow eyes held great fear, but also determination.

Revan offered her a hand, which she gazed at for a moment. She shook herself out of it and accepted it, allowing Revan to pull her up.

She was a little older than Bastila, Revan noticed. And she was far too skinny for her height.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

The Cathar seemed to consider his question for a moment before speaking. "I believe I am alright, yes." She said in a thick accent.

Revan dipped his head in assent and waved Malak and Aiden over. As soon as they had come, Revan introduced her to them.

"This is Malak, and this is Aiden." He said pointing to each.

"I am Juhani." The Cathar girl replied bowing her head slightly to Malak and Aiden, who returned the gesture.

"Juhani, we three are Jedi." Aiden said quietly, "do you know what has happened to the Jedi that resided on this planet?"

Juhani shook her head a little. "All I know is that the people here are afraid that because the Jedi are gone, the mandalorians will take over. They are already coming together in large numbers in the under city. Or so it is rumored…" Juhani trailed off as the three exchanged glances.

"Do you think that it is possible that the mandalorians have captured the Jedi that were on this planet?" Malak asked chewing over this information.

"It would appear that they have simply disappeared." Aiden replied, "Perhaps the High council deemed it time to remove them?" he said looking at Revan, whose face was scrunched slightly in thought.

"Zhar is a High Council member." Revan said slowly. "He said nothing about removing the Jedi from any planet; I asked him specifically if anyone was being moved from the outer rim."

The three looked grimly at the grey durasteel flooring for a moment.

"Have you noticed anything else?" Revan asked Juhani.

Juhani shook her head in a negative fashion.

"Alright." Revan voiced, "this is what is going to happen." And with that Revan began to lay out the framework to finally get some viable information.

* * *

I know that this chapter seemed kinda, well, filler-ish... but its not! Really its not! I needed to do some stuff in this chapter that you'll understand more about later, so really it was more about building the plot line in this one... anywho. PLEASE REVIEW! thanks- scatcat517


	9. Chapter 8

**(The next day.)Taris, Outer Rim, Under City. Time: 1400 Hours.**

An entire day and an entire evening were spent hashing out Revan's plan. In the end, they had decided that Juhani would be best off with the Jedi. Aiden had been elected by the majority to take Juhani to the shuttle that would take her to Dantooine.

Aiden did not have a chance to say otherwise, and he had been much too tired to argue with the two other Jedi. So, he was currently standing on the shuttle station dock. He looked down at the trembling Cathar.

"You'll be alright." Aiden said softly to her. Juhani looked skeptical as she eyed the shuttle nervously. Her light yellow eyes darting over to all the other passengers waiting in the line to board.

"Are you nervous?" Aiden asked wisely.

Juhani looked up at him, "there are so many people. And I do not know any of them." She said this quietly, looking down at her hands that clutched a small bag the three of them had given her. Inside was a sum of credits, a blaster, and some clothes Revan had rounded up for her in a thrift store in the Lower City. She could buy food on board the vessel.

The line began to move forward as people got into the shuttle via the upward slanting loading ramp several yards in front of where the two stood. Aiden nodded to Juhani as she looked up uncertainly, her eyes moving toward the ramp.

"You do remember what we told you to do when you get to Dantooine?" he asked kindly.

Juhani made a hesitant bow of the head, "I speak to Master Zhar or Master Kavar as soon as I arrive. I use the map you gave me to find the Enclave." She recited back.

Aiden smiled assured that she understood her instructions. "You sound like you're all set." He remarked as the line receded until it was only a few people in front of them.

Juhani directed her gaze upward at the Jedi who was smiling down at her. Juhani, in turn, cracked a small smile.

Aiden shooed her up the ramp, when she was at the top, she turned and waved a little, her smile becoming wider, and she went more confidently onto the vessel.

Aiden removed himself from the boarding area and swiftly went back through the entryway doors he and Juhani had come through when they had come to see her off.

Aiden moved to the side of one of the doors and pressed his comm button.

"_Yeah?" Malak asked._

"She's safely on the transport." Aiden said to him quietly, "where are you two?"

"_Under City." Malak replied quietly, whispering into the comm. "we found a mandalorian patrol down here…." He trailed off _Aiden could hear a shout coming from the comm.

Then the sounds of blaster fire, Malak's end of the comm went dead.

* * *

Blaster shots rang out everywhere. Malak cursed colorfully as a bolt came close to his hand.

Revan had already whipped out his twin blades of green, and Malak followed suit igniting his blue double bladed saber.

They had made it through the Lower City without being questioned, I mean hell, they looked like mercs.

Revan had made sure of that by visiting a nearby thrift store yesterday, and buying all three of them some less Jedi-like clothing. They had even gotten the Cathar girl Juhani some clothes, though; they were men, and Jedi to boot, so she had to pick them out herself.

Aiden had made a remark that the three of them had_ what do you girls call it, oh yes, a sense of fashion? Yep, no. we definitely don't have any of that, I mean, just look at us…._

Malak and Revan had not been so lucky when they had reached the Under City, however.

Things had seemed alright as they had gone through an 'outsider' village, but, as soon as they had stepped foot outside of the gates they had been attacked by 'rhakghouls' and a half dozen mandalorians.

Revan twisted through the cluster of mandalorians matching blows for blows. Malak engaged one in combat, bringing him down with a swift chop from his blade.

Revan threw three of the remaining warriors backward with a shove from the Force. He and Malak quickly dispatched the other two while their three comrades were down. The other three were soon up, the two Jedi were hard pressed to defend themselves.

Force or no, these mandalorians were to be reckoned with. Soon, the Jedi proved too much for the rather small group of mandalorians, and they were too, finished.

Revan frowned in distaste as a mandalorian ripped off his helmet and fell to his knees, as the man keeled over he coughed up blood on Revan's boots. With one last wheezing gurgle, the man's eyes went blank, staring in death.

Deactivating his twin sabers Revan turned to Malak.

Malak had already deactivated his double bladed saber and was now searching for his dropped comm link. A few seconds later he bent down and retrieved the now carbon scored piece of metal.

Scowling, Malak pushed the _call_ button, receiving only a sad sputter from the comm, and then a small spark.

"This thing's had it, Rev." Malak told him pocketing the little thing. Revan nodded.

"Was that Aiden, you had been talking to?" he asked after an instant.

Malak dipped his head in assent. Revan sighed in irritation, "now he's going to wonder why the hell he can't get in contact with us."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he could hear all the commotion." Malak replied walking over to a mandalorians corpse. After examining it for a second, he stooped down and retrieved a personal shield from the dead man's arm.

"Must you do that?" Revan asked, annoyed.

Malak looked up, surprised. "Yes, actually. He's dead, isn't he? He's not going to be using it anytime soon." He said this while motioning to the device he had taken.

Revan looked torn for a moment, and Malak wondered why. But then, Revan nodded his consent and moved away from the site of the brief battle, in the direction the mandalorians had appeared from.

Malak pondered his friend's strange actions and then followed him, into a sewer.

Malak had smelled many things, but the stench of the sewers in the Under City of Taris, topped everything he had ever smelled and beat them all by a landslide the size of a Krayt Dragon. Or a Rancor, Malak was having trouble figuring out which one smelled worse.

Malak tried to breathe through his mouth, but it was the kind of stink that you could almost, dare he think it, _taste…. _Shuddering in disgust Malak contemplated stopping breathing altogether as he and Revan neared a large automatic door. _The bloody thing's broken_, Malak thought in horror, he would have to spend an even longer time in the sewer now.

Revan looked at the lock that appeared to be broken for a good minute before he decided to use the Force. He reached out and felt the broken locking mechanism, with a small manipulation, Revan moved the broken piece aside and the door opened very fast, making a _whoosh._

The brothers continued down the winding maze of sewer tunnels until they came to a fork. Malak groaned in annoyance when he saw this, even _longer_ time now. Revan closed his eyes for a moment and reached out with the Force.

The strange thing was, when he did reach out, he sensed _nothing. _It was as though everything was dead in both tunnels. But the thing was when he sharpened his hearing with the Force, he could hear the scratching of Rhakghouls on the other side of the door to his left.

"Can you sense that?" Revan asked Malak.

"What?" Malak queried, "I don't sense anything." He said after a moment of concentration.

"That's the problem, Mak." Revan replied tersely. "I think they may have something suppressing the Force down the tunnels somewhere."

Malak nodded, somewhat surprised, "the mandalorians, why would they have that down here?"

"Maybe because they have done something with the Jedi that were on the planet. Maybe they cut them off from the Force, and they removed them. That would explain where all of the Jedi who were here have gone to." Malak suggested.

Revan gestured his agreement, "We must proceed with caution, Mak. We have no idea about what's going on in there."

Malak looked solemn, "I'll do whatever you think is necessary right now, Rev."

Revan nodded and opened the door to his right, manually this time. It snapped open just as fast as the first had. A mandalorian guard leaning on the railing next to the door had no time to react as the Jedi who entered brought him down with a practiced ease.

Revan felt the effects of Force suppression as soon as he had entered the tunnel, at that moment, he was very glad that his lightsaber and Malak's did not run on only the Force.

They both had small, very powerful solar powered batteries that were always charged in the hilts of their sabers.

It seemed like forever as the two went down the tunnel over the rusting metal, elevated walkways. The air still smelled in this section of the sewers, but it was slightly more bearable because it also smelled like humans were living down there.

The smells of cooking and sweat. Revan wrinkled his nose, _when you start thinking sweat smells better; you know things are bad…._

They soon came to another door on the left Revan went to it and prised it open, several people were in a corner whispering quietly to each other, they were however, not mandalorians.

They were young, the youngest of them looking to be about six standard years old. What really caught the young Jedi's attention was the fact that they all, excepting the younger ones, had padawan braids behind their right ears. They looked up sharply, and some of them even jumped as Revan and Malak entered the room.

One of the older ones stepped forward, Revan could see, even in the dim light that he had a nasty purple and black bruise spreading out over his left cheek and over his eye.

Nevertheless, the padawan was brusque when he addressed Revan, obviously thinking him to be a merc of some sort.

"What do you want?" it was a short statement from the padawan. He had obviously taken it upon himself to protect his fellow Jedi.

"Well, padawan." Revan started, noting how the Palawan's face lit up somewhat, "I am Jedi Knight Revan, and this," he said motioning to Malak, "Is Jedi Knight Malak. We came to Taris from Dantooine, and when we discovered that no one was in the Jedi tower, we decided to investigate."

The Padawan's shoulders sagged visibly, as though some massive weight had been dropped on him.

"I apologize Knight Revan, I did not realize…." He trailed off.

Revan moved to the young man, realizing that he was only thirteen or so, and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.

"its alright, if I take a look at myself in the mirror right now, I wouldn't recognize myself, much less think that I am a Jedi."

The boy looked up with his brown eyes at Revan in slight awe. "Yes, sir. What will we do now?" he asked, "our masters are still being held by the mandalorians."

Revan mulled this over for a moment and then turned to Malak. Malak saw the look that Revan was giving him and shook his head, "I am not going to leave you in this sarlacc pit alone."

Revan sighed, resignedly and turned to the padawan. "You're the oldest here?" he asked.

The boy shook his head, "they took the oldest of us and put them in a separate area, just like our masters. The oldest here is Corina, and the mandalorians hit her so hard she's been unconscious for the last couple of days. I tried to stop them, but…." The boy was unable to continue.

"What is your name?" Malak asked not at all unkindly moving over to the group from the doorway.

"Jesper." The boy replied quietly. Malak nodded and moved past them, he soon called to Revan.

"Jesper wasn't kidding; Rev. this kid is knocked out cold. She was hit hard enough for her to bleed at the base of her skull. I think she might be, well, you know…" Malak looked up at Revan urgently, and signaled that he did not think that this older girl was going to make it.

Revan bowed his head, pensive. "Malak, you stay here and guard the young ones. I'm going to locate the masters and older padawans."

Malak looked as though he were about to protest, when Revan silenced him with a look.

"I'll be back soon, hopefully." Revan said addressing all of the people in the room, he then turned and went out, closing the door behind him.

Malak sighed and leaned back against the wall next to where the girl was laid. He looked over at her, worried. He worried for his friend's life, and for the lives of everyone around him.

* * *

Revan had always been stealthy. Ever since he was a child he had been quiet. Often because he had not wanted to incur certain peoples wrath… but also because Revan listened to things.

He had an alarmingly good sense of hearing, Malak and Aiden had always joked that he had the biggest ears around. But Revan couldn't help this, it must have been the fact that Revan was acutely aware of his own footsteps and was excellent at making them so quiet he could not hear them. Or it could be that it had been handed down genetically….

Revan shook his head at this and continued his silent trek down the tunnel. He came upon another door to his right and was about to prise it open as he had the one previous, but the sound on the other side stopped him.

Quickly, Revan jumped over the railing into the actual sewage and hid underneath the walk. He looked up through the many holes. Three mandalorians soon emerged from the door, speaking in basic.

One of them, Revan recognized as the man Malak had talked to, Canderous Ordo. The men stopped not a few feet away from where Revan was hiding, and then switched over to mando'a. Revan still understood perfectly.

"What_** do you think that the Jedi you talked to will do about the ones we captured?" one of them asked Canderous.**_

"_**I'm not sure he'll do anything, Bralor." Canderous replied moving around his fellows to go down the tunnel to the right. "I think he's just like all the other damn Jedi and Republic we've fought so far." **_

"_**What, a pile of Batha poodoo?" Bralor shot back, "Mandalore said that we would be facing warriors, not a bunch of quivering children." **_

_**The third mandalorian spoke up, "you may call those Republic whatever you want, mate. But don't insult Mandalore in my presence or Canderous'; you know I answer to no one but him." **_

"_**Sorry, Kelborn." Bralor replied tapping his helmet, "**__Ori'buyce kih'kovid." (1)_

_**Kelborn nodded and the group moved together up the tunnel, the direction opposite **__**the one Revan had come in.**_

Revan out from under the walk, cringing as he waded through the guck and slimy sewage to a point where he could pull himself back up onto the walkway. Revan grimaced as he felt the suction of the goo try to pull him back down, he had more than enough upper body strength to pull himself out of this however, and was soon on the somewhat dry rusty metal.

Revan then noticed that the mandalorians had left this sewer door open. He walked into the small room, no one was in sight, and he couldn't hear anyone coming down the hall.

Waste water was pouring from the ceiling into a grate on the floor, and Revan circled around it quickly, having had enough of this for at least the rest of the hour. He went to the malfunctioning door to the left of the entrance and put his acute ear up to it. People were talking in low voices inside.

Revan pulled out his set of old style manual lock-picks he always kept in a pouch on his utility belt and proceeded to open the lock.

A good two minutes later the door sprang open.

Inside were ten people sitting on empty plastisteel crates and on the cold pavement, there were also several Ysalimiri in iron cages. The masters, knights and older padawans looked up at the intruder, they all had dark circles under their eyes and several of them sported old and fresh bruises.

_Take away the Force, and this is what you get._ Revan thought sadly. He then went through the process of introducing himself, and getting rid of the Ysalimiri.

Malak sat in the circle of young padawans and the six year old. They had all bombarded him with questions when they found out he didn't bite. They asked him why he was so tall, what planet he came from, what his favorite color was…

Malak usually would have found it all very amusing, but seeing Jesper's face and Corina lying next to the wall bleeding out the back of her head made him even more somber than he had been when he had seen the slaving market in the Lower City.

In truth, Malak hated this whole planet. He thought that it was just one huge cesspit, but the honest people who lived on Taris, yes there were a few, and they did not deserve to live here.

They should have been living on a nice planet, like Alderaan. Malak smirked inwardly; he always did have a preference to his home planet….

Seconds later, the door slid open with a light squeak; it was enough to get Malak on his feet in front of the younger people, his saber ignited. Revan stood in the doorway, a magnificent amount of muck on his pants from the waist down. And ten other Jedi who looked exceptionally tired.

Malak disengaged his lightsaber and put it back on his belt. The young padawans rose and rushed to their respective masters. All except for Jesper, who sat by Corina until a small, delicate looking master with compassionate eyes, full of worry rushed to them both.

She knelt down beside Corina and brushed back the girl's auburn hair from her face. Revan came over to the three and knelt down next to the master, scooping the girl up in his strong arms and carrying her to the door where everyone else was gathered. The master and Jesper soon followed.

Malak insisted on taking the girl from Revan so that he might lead them out. Revan complied to this, seeing the worry in his tall friend's eyes and nodded.

"Alright. Are we missing anyone?" he asked firmly looking at all of the Jedi.

They shook their heads.

"Very well, you will all follow me out. Everyone sticks together. Got it?" he said with conviction.

They all agreed readily, even the masters, many of which, under normal circumstances, would have argued. Soon enough Revan was leading them out of the room and through the tunnels.

They made it out after two incidents with rhakghouls and one mishap with a padawan slipping and falling into the sewage.

Malak was happy to be out of the stink, finally. He looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms and his stomach clenched uncomfortably. She was still hurt. He would not be happy until she was better.

They made it back to the Ebon Hawk as fast as the large group could move with twenty odd Jedi. As soon as they were onboard, Malak took Corina to the small medi-bay on the ship. Her master followed him. He set her down on the hover gurney and watched as the older woman hooked Corina up to the monitors.

Malak checked his wrist chrono for what seemed like the first time today, **2100 Hours, (RST).**

"I never thought anything like this could happen." The master said after a long few moments.

Malak nodded in agreement. "I didn't either."

The older woman looked up at the tall knight. She looked like she would cry.

"My name is Master Bisera Aiofe. This is my padawan, Corina Halcyon." She extended her hand to him, which Malak shook.

"Knight Malak Squinquargesimus." He said softly.

She nodded, her face looked drawn up, tight with pain. _Most likely from the bond she shares with her padawan_, Malak thought.

Malak felt the ship lurch, and felt a familiar presence behind him.

He turned; Aiden was staring at the girl on the bed. "Is she going to be alright?" he asked pointing.

Malak looked uneasily at the master Aiofe, her back was turned to him. Malak shrugged to Aiden unhappily.

Aiden's face went unreadable, deep in thought, which was typical of the Kenobi. Aiden gestured to Malak after a moment to follow.

Malak did, and the two went to the cockpit, where Revan was at the controls, piloting his way through the atmosphere.

"How did the mandalorians do it?" Aiden inquired, looking at Revan and then at Malak.

"Ysalimiri." Revan replied, head bent down looking at his different charts and controls.

Malak shuddered involuntarily, he had absolutely abhorred being without the Force, even if it was for a short time only.

Aiden considered this and plopped himself down in the co-pilots seat. Malak stood there quiet for a moment.

"I'm going to see what our twenty other passengers need." He said finally, wandering out of the area.

Aiden was lost deep in thought. He voiced his thoughts aloud, "how did they know that Ysalimiri create a neutral area, that makes the Force impossible to use?"

Revan lifted his gaze from the controls to Aiden's face, which was peering at him curiously.

"I have no idea." Revan replied. "That's what scares me."

* * *

yay! the jedi are rescued. the mandalorians are smart... scary.

Mando'a translation:

(1) means: all helmet, no head.

Thank You So Much: hmmm and Anthony van Leuvan I really appreciate the reviews!

I usually update in three days or less guys and gals, so look out for the next chapter soon!

Later- scatcat

p.s. I have gotten over three hundered hits on this story in one day, and no reviews. I am begging people, PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, REVIEW! THE BUTTON IS RIGHT THERE!!


	10. Chapter 9

**Space, Time: 1300 Hours (RST) **_**Ebon Hawk.**_

Revan had been staring at the data pads that Aiden had retrieved for a very long time now. It was bordering on obsessive, or, at least that's what Malak had said. Revan set the 'pad down with an unreasonable amount of force on the console in between the two pilot's seats.

He rubbed his honey-amber eyes tiredly with the back of his right hand, and then ran it through his unruly brown hair. He knew he looked terrible, he needed to shower, he needed to shave, he needed to, well, sleep. He was looking forward to the first two of these things, but the third… he would just find some strong caffa for now, and hope that it kept him awake.

Aiden and Malak had wandered into the cockpit over the course of the last few days, urging him to move himself into the kitchen/ living area to talk to the Jedi they had helped. Revan had declined each time, opting to stay in his 'area', as Aiden had referred to it.

The 'area' had not been invaded by anyone but his two friends so far, but Revan had to remove his things from his bunk, because there simply was not enough room for it with so many people on board the small smuggler style vessel. In fact, several people were sleeping on the floor of the cargo hold….

Aiden had been the one person on board that every one had turned to in Revan's relative absence. He had, as patiently as possible, done anything anybody had asked of him, within reason of course.

Malak, on the other hand, was constantly in the medical bay area, watching over the oldest padawan, Corina. Her master, Bisera Aiofe, had put his worst fears to rest; Corina was simply in a Force induced state of unconsciousness. Apparently, as soon as the girl had come out of the tunnels, and regained her connection, the Force had somehow overwhelmed her, though not in a bad way, because it was healing her, albeit slowly.

Revan had wondered what Malak was thinking when he sat next to the eighteen year old Corina Halcyon; was it possible for him to have a connection to the padawan, even in so short a time?

Revan shook himself out of his reverie as the navicomputer beeped crazily, signaling the time to come out of hyperspace. The _Hawk_ automatically did this, but Revan would pilot her for the rest of the way.

Revan felt a slight jolt as the streaks of white and blue suddenly stopped, and they were in regular space once more. He yawned and took the controls, noting his coordinates and making the ship head towards a smallish green and blue planet in front of him. From here, he could see its two moons and its single sun, just coming over the edge of the planet as he came in from an angle.

Aiden came in after a few moments of piloting toward the small sphere, and he took the co-pilots chair.

"The masters are wondering if they will be able to get medical attention on this planet, Revan." Aiden said quietly punching in a few numbers on his side of the console.

Revan did not look at Aiden; he simply stared at the planet, lost in his own thoughts.

Aiden re -voiced his question after an instant, when he realized Revan had not heard.

"Yes, they'll have some good medical attention here. The Echani are good with the healing arts." Revan replied turning the ship so it was now in the planet's orbit.

"Shall I tell them that?" Aiden asked after a beat of silence.

"Sure." Revan mumbled, flipping switches and moving into the planet's atmosphere. Aiden sighed in exasperation with his friend's shortness and took his controls.

Together the pair allowed the _Ebon Hawk _to swoop down through the sky, and over what seemed like an endless amount of trees and rivers and flat lands. They finally heard the light beep of the nav system, as they neared their destination. As soon as they came up on it, they set the ship down gently on the edge of one of the wide flat land areas.

* * *

**Thyrsus, Edge of Eastern continent, specifics: unknown, flatlands.1300 Hours (RST), (give twenty minutes.) **

The sun was covered slightly by light grey clouds, and the early spring winds were picking up. The white cowl over the woman's face was toyed with by this wind, making an attempt to yank itself off of the woman's head. She pulled it down once more and squinted at the ship in front of her.

The presence on the ship was unmistakable, as were two others. These three had grown so much to make their presence so strong. Though, Revan had always been strong, he had made her find _him_ in the first place.

Even when he did not mean to, Revan's presence was compelling. Malak and Aiden, they had obviously made great advances in their use of the Force.

She watched for a moment longer, confused about the other twenty odd life forms on board the smuggling vessel. She tore her gaze away as one of her squad members tapped her lightly on her left shoulder. She turned to her. The woman motioned with her hand to her, asking if they should circle around to attack.

The watcher shook her head, a small smirk playing on her lips. She stood and walked through the shrubbery and tall trees they had been hiding in, next to the flat lands that stretched out for so many miles.

She walked confidently out into the open, just as Revan; Aiden and Malak were coming out of their ship, along with what seemed to be ten Jedi masters and knights.

There were more presences on board, but they were small in comparison, therefore, they must be padawans. The woman mused to herself silently.

* * *

Revan felt an extremely familiar person's Force signature and looked up from his current line of sight. She was standing right there. She looked somewhat different, he thought.

She looked like an Echani.

She had the outfit down right enough; she had a cowl up like all the others of her squad around her, a white tunic.

But she was different from these other women, not so much in looks; she had the white hair, and the blue grey eyes. She stood differently, she stood like a Jedi.

Revan smiled for the first time in a while. She was walking over to him when she called out. "You've gotten taller."

"Yes, master. I should hope I have, being nineteen and all." He replied cheekily.

She grinned and came closer; she then hugged him like he was her own.

"How've you been?" she asked after releasing him, studying his face.

"I've been alright, I could be better though." Revan said elusively.

The rest of Revan's group seemed to realize that there was a squad of Echani women standing in their presence and Revan talking to one of them. Malak and Aiden looked amazed and moseyed their way over to Revan and the new squad leader.

"Master Kae?" Aiden asked cautiously, as if he were not sure it was actually her.

"It's good to see you, Aiden. You've gotten stronger in the Force, and you, like Revan here, you've gotten taller." She said embracing him also.

She looked at Malak who was giving her a strange look, "I don't get a hug?" Malak asked, feigning sadness.

Arren Kae released Aiden and hugged Malak.

"You are the tallest human I have ever met." She said tilting her head upwards to look at his face as she released him, finally.

Malak pulled a face, making Arren laugh.

Arren pulled down her cowl, revealing her long braided white locks. She ran the back of her right hand over her forehead in an attempt to remove some of the sweat that had built up there. Today, it was warmer than usual on Thyrsus.

She squinted against the sun's bright rays, and opened her Force senses fully for a moment. A ship. Dropping from the atmosphere, though it was cloaked.

"I sense it too." Revan said coming up next to her.

"Then we should be going." Arren replied, she did not like the things she had sensed from the incoming vessel.

"I'll leave half of my squad to take care of anyone who comes to check out your ship." Arren told him, turning to face her old padawan. Revan nodded, frowning and looked over to the mass of Jedi that were watching the exchange, though could not hear it unless they had sharpened their hearing.

They were also watching as the other Echani women spoke in their native tongue, not understanding a word of it.

"What am I supposed to do with all these Jedi, though?" Revan asked her.

Arren turned her grey-blue gaze upon them, "bring them, the padawans too. We can handle a lot of people at the settlement."

Revan contemplated this, and said back, "We have one that's injured. What of her?"

Arren looked surprised, "you do? Show her to me, perhaps I could help."

Revan gestured her to follow him, which Arren did and they went up the loading ramp of the _Hawk._

* * *

In the med bay, Corina was staring at the ceiling. She had just woken up, remembering herself to be on Taris, but then she had peered about the room, she was definitely _not_ on Taris, she decided.

She looked up at the doorway, a young man, medium height and medium build with light brown hair and amber eyes was staring at her. A woman came up next to him. She looked like she was old enough to be his mother. She had long braided white hair and blue grey eyes that seemed to stare right through things, making Corina shift a little, uncomfortable.

"I thought you said she was unconscious?" Arren asked mildly seeing the girl was sitting up and looking about, the second the girl had seen them, she had sat stock still evaluating herself and Revan.

"She was, she _had_ been for the last couple of weeks, plus the last few days she has been on our ship." Revan responded, quirking his eye brow at the girl. She quirked hers back.

Her voice came out raspy as she spoke, "where am I?"

"You are on my ship_ Ebon Hawk," _Revan replied softly, "your master, Bisera is outside with the other Jedi from Taris."

Corina seemed to think about this for a second, "how did you find us?" she asked quietly.

"It is a pretty long story, actually." Revan told her. Arren seemed to pull herself out of listening to the conversation and moved herself next to the seventeen year old.

"I am quite good with Force healing, young one. Will you allow me to have a look at that head injury of yours?" Arren said this pointing at the young woman's head.

Corina's hands flew to her head full of long, somewhat dirty, auburn hair. She gingerly touched the spot Arren had motioned to and winced, two small but strong hands pulled hers down in to her lap. And then she felt a cooling sensation on the back of her aching skull.

After a few moments the pain receded to a dull ache, barely there, but still somewhat tender to the touch.

"Thank you." Corina said now able to think properly now that her head did not hurt so much. Arren nodded amicably and turned to Revan.

"She's alright now, I had a look at her other injuries, and they do not go past a rather nasty bruise on her left side. The head injury was the worst."

"So she's well enough to walk to the settlement?" Revan inquired thoughtfully.

Arren dipped her head in assent and moved away from the young woman.

"I'll be outside." She said.

"Master, "Revan said quickly in a low tone, "will you tell Malak of Corina's progress, he has been by her side non stop since our departure from Taris."

Arren's eyes widened slightly and she agreed, sweeping out of the ship with the grace of one who had lived amongst the Echani for so long.

"Do you need anything?" Revan asked Corina watching the girl's somewhat confused face change expressions.

She looked up at him from her place on the hover gurney. "Is my master able to come in and help me?" she murmured.

Revan pulled out a small smile and told her this was fine.

He exited the ship as master Bisera was swooping up the loading ramp. She nodded graciously to Revan and continued into the _Hawk._

Malak looked more relieved than he had in days as Revan approached him.

"She's alright?" Malak asked, "She's not hurt anymore?"

Revan shook his head, somewhat amused at Malak's tone, "she is perfectly fine. Her master is on the ship helping her out now. Arren says she is well enough to walk to the settlement."

Malak looked strengthened by this knowledge and inquired no further, he would ask Corina herself when she emerged from the ship.

* * *

When Corina Halcyon emerged from the _Hawk fifteen_ minutes later. Malak went up to her, and she stared at him in surprise. She had no idea who he was, and then he explained who he was to her and she smiled at him.

Malak looked relieved that she was alright and they delved into conversation. Bisera shook her head in amusement and wandered over to her fellow Jedi that had formed a group near the right side of the ship.

A few minutes later at Revan's orders they were all trekking through the forest toward the Echani settlement. Half of Arren's squad had been left at the _Hawk,_ however, to guard the ship from whatever had just landed not too far away.

**Thyrsus, Outer Rim, Six Kilometers from **_**Ebon Hawk's**_** landing site.**

This planet was covered with small inland seas, rivers flat lands and a large amount of trees and shrubbery.

A mandalorian looked down at his golden yellow armored arm. Strapped to his wrist was a tracking device. A small red light was blinking on the miniaturized vidscreen and the mandalorian squinted at it through his helmet.

He was glad that Bralor had suggested he put that tracking device on the Jedi apprentice before they had let her out of interrogation.

Sure, the girl had been unconscious when they had put it on her, and they had no idea that the Jedi would escape, but it was always good to have a little extra insurance.

When they had discovered that the Jedi had gone without so much as a mykal's fart of noise, the mandalorian Major had been given this tracking device and sent to find them

He looked up at his squad that had filed out of the light mandalorian _STALKER _class ship, equipped with the newest cloaking devices for a small ship the engineers could think of.

He motioned his men forward, leaving behind only two to guard the _STALKER; _they had a job to do now.

The less Jedi on the Republic's side the better.

* * *

Well, I am really sorry people. My mother threw a freak and took away my laptop for several days, and I did not get the chance to update until just now.

Again, I am REALLY SORRY!!

I promise the next chapter will be better than this one to make it up to you peeps!

One last thing, I have gotten like a gazillion hits on this story, and no one reviews, like... ever. It's kinda depressing, ya know? pretty please just hit the little blue button on the bottom left hand corner, you know you want to!!

later,

scatcat


	11. Chapter 10

**Outer Rim, Thyrsus, Eastern continent. Time: 1600 Hours. (RST)**

Aiden peered about in genuine awe. The Echani settlement was more than he could have ever guessed was down on this planet.

The journey through the shrubbery, forest and over little creeks and streams had been relatively quiet… apart from the fact that Revan had not spoken the entire time except to Arren.

Arren had replied in short answers and she had kept the group at a fast pace to reach the settlement before nightfall.

They had made it in plenty of time, but Aiden still felt a nagging sensation in the back of his mind. A growing trepidation that started in his stomach, making it twist uncomfortably.

He followed Revan, Malak, Corina and Arren with the other Jedi as they walked through a very well disguised series of buildings that were intricately and beautifully designed.

They had already passed a series of sparring and practice areas, and a rather large building with several satellites on the roof. They were now coming up to many other buildings. One was rather smallish, but it had four guards posted outside the doors denoting its importance. The next building was a mess hall, Aiden thought this guessing from the smell of cooking food wafting through the air from the direction of the slate grey building with double doors.

They continued their walk past a building on the right with two doors also, but they were far separate from each other. The windows were smooth, but a frosted looking material that one could not see through. They were covered in condensation, announcing this was the bathhouse.

"The rest of these are bunk houses, with the exception of the one we passed earlier, Yusanis lives in his headquarters." She gestured backward to the low lying building with four guards watching the door.

Aiden absorbed this information quickly; he had an almost photographic memory after all.

Arren finally showed them to the quarters they would be using. It was another grey building with nice subtle intricacies. It was a piece of artwork, truly. The grey stone it was made of was something one did not often see when they were around Coruscant.

The windows were the same frosted crystalline panes that you could not see through but let light pass in. they entered the building, noting that it was much smaller than some of the other buildings around. Revan seemed to have noticed this as well as he voiced this to Arren.

Arren nodded and explained, "The other buildings are housing squads, and squads consist of twelve people each. There are four squads in each building, though they have their own dormitory for each squad within that building."

This made sense, there were only about twenty Jedi in their group, not including Revan Malak and Aiden, they only had about half the number that the Echani did in one building, so why waste the space?

Revan dipped his head in understanding and talked to Arren for a moment more. Arren looked thoughtful about whatever Revan had said and made a motion of acceptance.

"I'll ask him for you." She said loudly signaling to the rest of her squad that it was time to go.

Revan cocked an eyebrow at her in what looked like mild surprise and nodded, then turned to Malak and Aiden.

Before Aiden could ask about the interaction Malak was speaking, "what's the layout of this building anyway, rev?"

Revan looked up at his tall friend and explained. "This is all one level; there are three rooms and a toilet for each one. The smallest one is the one we'll be sharing, there

Are four beds in that one. The other two have roughly ten in each."

"Gotcha." Malak replied, he then turned and relayed this information to the Jedi who were still coming through the door.

Aiden watched this for a few seconds and then saw Revan move off to the room he had told them about, down a bit to the left. He followed quietly and entered after his friend swiftly.

Revan sat down on the bed closest to the far wall with a sigh of exhaustion. He lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes slowly. He let it drop with a soft thump on the mattress. The room was nothing to sneeze at. It was just big enough for four people to live in it and be comfortable. The beds were twin sized with several blankets and an extra thick fleecy blanket at the foot of it. The pillow was not overly lumpy, so Revan was happy. The only other things in the room was a small writing station where one could plug in data pads and upload new information and another door, which presumably led to the bathroom Arren had told him about.

Aiden had come into the room shortly after him and promptly sat down on the bed opposite Revan's own. He then kicked off his boots and lay back, closing his eyes as soon as his blond head hit the pillow.

Revan thought he had gone to sleep after Aiden was quiet for a few minutes, but then the Kenobi spoke. "What was going on with Arren earlier?"

"She says Yusanis is worried about the war with the mandalorians." Revan replied tiredly staring off into space, contemplating whether or not he should attempt to sleep now.

Aiden did not say anything for a while, he seemed to be soaking in the sparse piece of knowledge Revan had imparted upon him.

"Are you going to ask Yusanis to join us?" Aiden asked finally.

Revan looked reflective for a long moment and shrugged, "I think I will, but I won't force him." He said this softly, "Yusanis is a strong general, and I think the Republic could benefit from his assistance against the mandalorians…. I'll need to ask him what he thinks about this war before I ask him to join the war effort." Revan finally decided he had gone without sleep for long enough and pulled off his brown boots.

He put them neatly to the end of his bed on the floor and laid back. He had been right, the pillow wasn't lumpy, it was better than the ones on the Hawk at least….

Revan fell asleep in a matter of a few seconds, his insomnia finally calling it quits….

**The light came from a saber. Then an unknown force yanked the blaster out of Kalen's hands. Revan looked up; a woman in grey and white robes with white hair like his mother's was holding a Jedi weapon. It glowed with yellow power. **

**The woman calmly held the blaster she had pulled away from Kalen in her free hand. Kalen looked startled as he gazed at the white haired woman. Rae continued to cough up blood on the ground. **

"**I was under the impression that mandalorians honorable when it came to women and children, I suppose my assumption was wrong." The woman said sharply, **

"**Leave, mandalorian. There is nothing for you on this planet now, all the others have either fled or died.**

"**You'll have to kill me Jetii." Kalen sneered back readying his combative stance. **

**The woman would have none of it; she flicked her wrist towards him, sending him flying in to the debris that was once a small infirmary. He hit one of the remaining slabs of concrete with a sickening crunch. He slid down it slowly, his eyes were wide open, staring at nothing, or perhaps everything….**

**The woman knelt down beside Rae and put a hand to her forehead. **

**Revan then noticed that there were many more Jedi than he had originally thought around them. Two more were standing close to him, his mother and the mystery woman. He felt as though he could not move, no matter how he willed his legs to work, to go to his mother, he could not budge an inch from his current position. **

"**She is fading." One of the other Jedi said quietly to their grey and white clad companion.**

**The mystery woman seemed to ignore the other two and closed her eyes; she held her position, one hand on Rae's forehead the other now placed on the wrist. **

"**Master Kae, her life force is fading beyond even your control," one of them said trying to persuade Kae to move away from the dying Echani woman. **

**Revan somehow found the will to move to his mother during these brief few moments, and felt a sudden weight come down on his young heart.**

**The only thing that had been constantly in his life was his mother, and now he would lose her too….**

* * *

Revan felt as though his whole being would shatter into a thousand tiny pieces as he sat up suddenly in his bed. His hands flew to his face and rubbed his eyes in a desperate attempt to remove the images he had just relived.

A soft noise was made just outside the door…. Revan swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled on his brown boots. He moved over to Aiden and grabbed his friend's wrist, checking the chrono, it was 0300. Who was up at this time of the morning? Revan wondered, also noting that Aiden had not woken even though Revan had used his wrist to determine the time.

He let his friend's arm drop back to its owner and strode to the door. Revan opened the door with in the quietest manner he could manage at this early hour, and revealed three Echani women. One was Arren, but the other two… Revan could not place them.

However, he could see a striking resemblance between Arren and the younger of the two other women, but then he noticed that the younger was but fourteen… Bastila's age, why was he thinking about her, now of all times?

Revan shook his head in an attempt to clear it. The women were arguing in a truly un Echani like fashion, they were silently gesturing at each other angrily with large hand movements….

Arren noticed Revan first and stopped motioning to the two others, turning to him when she heard the faint click of the durasteel door as it opened.

Revan looked at his former master quizzically, tilting his head to the side slightly in confusion.

Arren rolled her eyes in exasperation and grabbed his wrist, towing him through the dormitory door and out into the brisk morning air and the damp, dewy grass.

The moon was still somewhat high in the sky, Revan saw as he looked up momentarily, the stars were quite visible, but for the few that were covered by a thin layer of silvery clouds. They were very nice to look at; they glowed faintly, pleasantly, like nothing could much bother them.

"We have a slight problem." Arren said looking up at her former padawan. His face was halfway veiled in shadow as he looked up at the starry sky.

"What sort of 'slight' problem?" Revan asked looking down at her, making the quotation symbols with his skilled fingers.

"You are understating the direness of our problem, Arren." The older of the two others said in an angry whisper.

"I think you should be quiet, sister." The younger said, "Mother is doing her best in this situation."

"Perhaps we should get someone else to handle this then" the other shot back snidely, "she obviously cannot handle the task my father has given her, just look at the way she dallies when we need this resolved now."

"She would be able to go faster if you would stop being such a nuisance." The younger popped back, her face turning red from anger and contrasting sharply with her white braids even in the dim night.

The older one shut up to this statement and crossed her arms in an irritated fashion over her grey-tunic and cowl covered chest.

The younger was still seething her hands forming fists at her sides clenching almost uncontrollably.

Arren cleared her throat softly, "if you two are done…?" she asked.

The pair nodded reluctantly and remained silent.

Arren nodded approvingly and said to revan: "Yusanis said that it would be best if we discussed this problem in his personal living quarters, it's where he does much of his work, anyway."

Revan inclined his head to Arren and was soon following her back through the settlement to the low lying building, which currently had four guards around the front door. Arren said nothing to them as she passed, and they did not seem to take much notice of her either. They hastily went through the unobtrusive door and into the… stairwell…?

Realizing that Yusanis lived underground as an extra safety measure Revan felt the younger woman push his shoulder gently, a silent, move along.

Revan did as he was bidden and went in Arren's wake down the seemingly endless flight of stairs. They were not remarkable stairs in any case; they were grey like all the other buildings around here, except they lacked the adornment of some of the other structures.

There was no railing, and there were probably sconce like lighting in the well but no one had bothered to turn them on. The door at the top had closed behind them a few minutes ago when they had first come in… as soon as Revan finished thinking this he bumped into Arren.

He could hear her fiddling with something on the wall.

"I can't believe I forgot to turn on the damn lights, give me a sec…. there." Dim light washed over the stairs and revealed that they were standing in front of a rather plain durasteel door.

To the right of it was an access panel, which Arren was currently messing about with.

After a couple buttons pushed the door slid open and the four entered a much more brightly lit set of rooms.

The smells of caffa, something vaguely flowery and something musky assaulted Revan's nose as he was pulled through a room that was very much like a control room, lights blinking on vidscreen and a large circular holographic imager at the center. The walls were covered in scenery of the outside in what Revan determined immediately was surveillance and something that looked like a positioning system….

He was quickly pulled from this room and into another that was joined to it. Inside were five other people not including the four that had just entered. Revan recognized most of them immediately, Malak, Corina, and Bisera were sitting next to two others….

Revan remembered suddenly that he had not seen Malak since earlier when they had entered the dorms. The other two were older looking Echani men. One had obviously more status than the other, Yusanis. Revan comprehended. The other man was still a mystery to Revan however….

Yusanis looked up from a data pad he had been holding and set it down on a circular table in front of him. He motioned for the four to join him and the others around said table without delay.

Revan sat down in the chair next to Malak without looking up at his tall brother.

"What's going on?" Revan asked without mincing words, looking sharply at Yusanis.

Yusanis gazed levelly back at Revan, "You've been followed." He said simply motioning to the data pad he had just set down on the table. It was a miniaturized vidscreen, Revan grasped.

On it were roughly a score of mandalorians moving through the ferns and trees of Thyrsus.

"Where is this?" Revan asked adverting his eyes from the data pad.

"Only a couple of kilometers from the settlement." The other Echani male said softly. His voice reminded Revan of someone, but he could not place who….

"In any case they will be here soon." Arren replied briskly, "we can't just let them leave once they come into the settlement, either."

Yusanis nodded his agreement to Arren's statement, "no, we cannot. Revan, I thought I should wake you for this because I thought perhaps you would like them to be kept alive to question."

Revan let his eyes fall on Yusanis who was now leaning forward, his arms crossed on the table. Revan nodded, it was a good idea, and they had enough men to spare to capture the mandalorians.

"Very good, then." Revan responded, mimicking Yusanis' arm placement.

"Rein, please go and inform squads four, nine and eleven to meet our mandalorian guests as soon as they cross the third trip wire area. I wouldn't expect them to set it off, but make sure the squads don't get lazy and let the mandalorians get any further than that. The mandalorians are to be brought directly to the interrogation chambers when captured."

"Yes, General." Rein replied softly with a small bow, removing himself from his seat and leaving the group through the door that Revan had entered through not moments before.

"Why did the mandalorians follow you?" the youngest of the group asked, being the girl that was Bastila's age from earlier.

"I also wish to know the reason, Brianna." Yusanis said musing quietly he faced Malak who was looking down at Corina. Corina was continually rubbing a red spot on her left arm. Bisera looked as if she would cry, which was something for a Jedi master.

"Mak, what's going on?" Revan asked calmly.

Malak looked to his best friend, worry etched over his face, "it's Corina, when she was on Taris…." He trailed off momentarily then cleared his throat and continued, "They interrogated her, separated her from the group of padawans and younglings and when they could not get anything out of her they gave her that head wound that Arren healed. But, when she was out it appears that they put a small position transmitting device in her left arm. Corina thinks it was probably the Colonel she saw when she was being interrogated who suggested it, apparently he was quite smart." Malak finished.

Revan looked down at his rough, somewhat scarred hands in thought and then back up to Corina who was still rubbing the spot on her left arm.

"What was the Colonel's name?" Revan asked softly, watching Corina's face contort slightly in a mixture of emotions.

"Bralor." She whispered.

Revan felt like he was standing in the mucky sewers of Taris again, the voice of that mandalorian, he had heard it, he had stood not a few mere meters from him….

* * *

Oh goodness... I am so, so, so, so-ooooo-ooo... sorry my dear readers! I had mid-terms all this last week, and my grandparents came in to town so my house turned into a veritable zoo... I have one of those insanely humongous loud families that just will NOT GO HOME!! I love them all dearly, but enough is really enough!

I hope this chapter was good for you people, because I'm six hours away from my home computer right now and it's currently 12: 32 A.M. You people really guilt me into updating this late! sheesh! just kidding! AAAAAHHHH! PUT DOWN YOUR TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS! DOWN I SAY! DONT KILL POOR SCATCAT!

I promise I'll update within the coming week several times though, its spring break and I have mostly nothing better to do...

Oh! before I forget! I have set up a poll on my profile, please do it, because I have more I want to add onto this story, but I want you to tell me who your favorite characters are so that I can write more about them for you! thank you for putting up with me!

later- scatcat

AAAAHHHH! Quick thankyous! To: Anthony van Leuvan, hmmm, Tainava Vonroa, LordRevanGrandMasterofTheJedi !! Tnank You so very much for reviewing! You peoples made my day!!


	12. Chapter 11

**Thyrsus, three kilometers from Echani settlement. Time: 0330 (RST).**

The night was relatively quiet, too quiet for Thyrsus. Usually there was much more noise from the various kinds of wildlife that resided on the planet's surface, but as the intruding mandalorians presence was enough to make them go into hiding. Squad four had moved to the far side of the third trip wire area, next to where the mandalorians would be forced to come.

There was no other area for them to come at, the forest was particularly thick in this area and the shrubbery was even more so, it coated everything in a squishy green, concealing all of the traps, wires, and sensors Yusanis had ordered to be put in the area.

This was a bonus for the squad eleven, who were waiting patiently adjacent to squad four; they were to come up directly behind the mandalorians. Squad nine was waiting in the front; they were to be directly across from squad eleven. They had all popped squats in the underbrush, waiting for the mandalorians.

They did not have long to wait, because soon the score of mandalorians were on the edge of the third trip area.

The leader halted his men; he wore a major's red armor. He turned his helmeted head to a small blinking device on his wrist and deftly pushed a few buttons and said something in subdued mando'a to two men on his immediate right.

They nodded and saluted him then moved around their squad, delivering whatever news the major had given to them.

After a few minutes the mandalorians became quiet again and four of them were cutting trip wires and disabling sensors, as soon as they finished clearing one they would move on to another, soon, they were at the center of the third area.

The mandalorian major didn't know what hit him. The mandalorians had no chance to retaliate as the squads overpowered them using the element of surprise, there was a short fight, but the Echani used their superior agility and numbers to overcome their surprised mandalorians with their brute strength and heavy armor.

* * *

The mandalorian major woke up to the musty smell of being underground in a stone and dirt like area. He opened his eyes and was met by a pair of cool grey blue ones, glaring back at him.

"He is awake, father." She said, moving away from him. She was a small…girl… and she's a pill…the major thought sourly shifting slightly, only to realize that he was tied up tighter than he had originally anticipated. So tightly that he could barely move at all.

Then he noticed that they had removed his armor, leaving him clad only in his standard issue undergarments: stretchy navy blue thermal tank and long shorts. He felt rather… exposed.

He had no more time to think about how exposed he was feeling, as the man that the little pill had called to as _father,_ strode into his cold, somewhat damp and dirty, stone cell.

The man was average height for an Echani, and he carried all the characteristics of one.

The white hair that was tied in a tail behind his head at the base of his neck and the icy blue eyes that were currently staring down at the major. The man was nothing out of the ordinary, except his eyes, still staring down, the major currently felt like a small bug the Echani was considering squashing….

The major made a serious effort to look completely undaunted by the imposing Echani and then another man walked in. this one, on the other hand, did not look like an Echani whatsoever. He looked like a relatively normal human, actually.

But, then the major studied the way he walked into the room, a grace not unlike that of a large feline coupled with a strength he only had the chance to see once every blue moon.

He was not sure, in fact that he had ever seen the flexibility and strength paired in such a way. The young man's gold-brown eyes came to rest on him, and the mandalorian shifted uncomfortably, these eyes were even worse than the damn Echini's.

The major looked stubbornly away from the two imposing men and toward the grey stone wall. His eyes roved over the dirty and rough stone, it must be a foundation of a larger building, he decided.

The brown haired, brown eyed man turned to the Echani, "the other members of his squad haven't talked either. Your men are getting somewhat impatient with them as well." The man said softly.

The ice blue eyed one nodded, "I know, I thought perhaps this one would say something. Perhaps I am mistaken about that, he looks quite stubborn." He replied in a firm, quiet voice.

"Yusanis, I could use the Force to influence him, if you want me to." The brown haired one said.

Yusanis shook his head in negative and responded after a moment of watching the mandalorian try to ignore him and Revan. "No, I don't think that will be necessary, actually. Thank you though, Revan. If I have a hard time, I'll ask you to come and help then."

"Very well, Yusanis." Revan said in a low tone, also watching the mandalorian. He then went back to the electrical field that served as a door to keep in prisoners and slid his access key into a discreet panel on the right side. He took the tiny increment of time before the field went back up and slipped out and back down the hall way to the left and out of sight.

"Well," Yusanis started, making the major jump almost imperceptibly to untrained eyes. "We may as well begin questioning now. Brianna, please record the entire talk."

The little pill nodded and took the holo recorder from her father swiftly and turned it on.

The major let out a sigh of annoyance; this was going to be a long couple of hours….

* * *

**Thyrsus, Echani Settlement, 05:50 Hours (RST) Medical bay.**

Malak stared down at his large hands quietly. Aiden sat beside him on the bench they currently occupied, one arm on the armrest to his left, his chin resting upon his left hand in a tired manner.

Neither had spoken for an hour now, not since Corina had been taken into the medical facility to have the tracking device removed from her arm. The Echani healers had run into a few complications, due to the placement of the actual device by the mandalorians.

Arren had been irritated with her for not noticing the device sooner and had cursed the mandalorians in many different languages, then she had numbed Corina's arm and begun trying to pry the Planetary Positioning System (PPS) out of the young woman's arm.

Malak and Aiden had been in the room when this occurred and Malak had to look only once at the way Arren was enthusiastically messing about with surgical tools and quickly ducked out thinking he would be sick to his stomach, (which he was about a minute later.)

Aiden had been told to go and make sure Malak wouldn't do anything stupid.

Arren emerged from the door across from the bench about five minutes later taking off a pair of stretchy elastic white gloves with a snap. She nodded curtly to the pair on the bench and before Malak, who was now giving his utmost attention to her, could ask a question; Arren gave a jerky irritated motion to the healer's aide who was standing just in the doorway she had just come out of.

Then walked briskly down the grey stone and slate hallway that was lit by electrical sconces on the walls. Aiden shrugged to Malak and gestured to the aide.

"How is she?" Malak asked softly.

"Lady Kae successfully removed the tracking device from padawan Halcyon's arm." The aide replied delicately removing her elastic white gloves. "Padawan Halcyon is awake and irritable, if I might add."

The aide looked up at the tall knight who currently had a priceless look of 'what?' written across his twenty year old face.

Then without further ado entered the room only to get a snappish, " What!" from Corina, this however did not stop our beloved squint eyed doofus from smiling that 'innocent padawan' smile….

Aiden rolled his eyes at his friend and decided that Corina could have some time trying to keep Malak in check….

Maybe he could go and get some proper sleep now; the bench had not been the most ideal place to nap ….

**Thyrsus, Eastern Continent, Specifics: Unknown. 0800 Hours (RST)**

It had been ten hours since the two sentries left with the STALKER; class mandalorian ships had lost contact with Major Kex Ordo. And it had been another three since the contact was lost.

The two mandalorians were growing impatient; it was not like Kex to not report back several times an hour to his subordinates and his betters alike. He was a prompt man, and he was good at being a Major.

The first mandalorian that he had left behind shifted his position on the plastisteel cylinder he was sitting on. His backside was numb after being in this position for so long, Zuka, the other mandalorian was sitting on the loading ramp of the STALKER, and messing about with his heavy blaster rifle.

Zuka, a tech- specialist, turned to Xarga who was trying to make himself more

Comfortable on his makeshift seat.

"Weather here's nice, ai'nt it, mate?" Zuka asked, breaking the silence that had filled his ears for several hours now.

"I suppose so." Xarga replied, "I miss Dxun though."

"Why?" Xarga asked flippantly, "it's humid and wet there."

"I grew up there, Mirosik." Xarga snapped back, "You would not understand because you're from the home world, Ordo."

"Eleck, whatever you say. When will the Major be back?"

Xarga let out a breath he had been holding in with an irritated rush of air and turned to his younger ally. "I don't know, Zuka. If I knew that I wouldn't be contemplating searching for his ass, would I?"

Zuka opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Xarga who leapt to his feet in a rush holding his blaster at the ready. Zuka cursed that he was stupid enough to let down his guard on this damnable Echani planet; he had even taken off his helmet….

When he saw the Echani squad, he knew that he and Zuka would not be enough to attempt to fight them off. Weighing his options he looked to Zuka who was grasping his heavy blaster and watching the Echani like he had been moments before.

Zuka looked up at Xarga with a questioning look. 'Should we make a stand?'

Xarga shook his head firmly; they would see where these Echani led them. Hopefully, it would be to the major….

* * *

**Thyrsus, Echani settlement.1100 Hours (RST)**

The day had shaped up to be very nice. The sky was bright blue, with little wisps of cloud floating on a soft breeze. The weather was warm, 26.6 degrees Celsius according to the combined chrono-thermometer on the wall of the mess hall a hundred yards away.

Revan let out a breath he had been holding in and sat himself down on the green and yellow grass on the outskirts of the Echani settlement. He pulled himself into a lotus meditative pose.

He had discarded his boots, belt and outer robes a few feet away from his current position, they were cumbersome. He slowly allowed himself to sink into the Force.

Allowing it to fill him up, and then Revan let his thoughts go… the only things he was conscious of was his heart beat and the way the Force flowed in relation to himself. He was the Force, the Force was him. The Force was also every other living thing on this planet and the next, on every planet. It was also the things that were dead, the things inanimate….

There was something dark on the outer areas of Revan's Force perception…. Could this be what Vandar had sensed? Could this be what pushed the mandalorians to go to war with the Republic?

He delved farther into the Force, closer to the blackness, the splotches of red… and then he saw it for what it was….

Revan's eyes snapped open. It was more than he could possibly have predicted, and it was trying to get rid of them all….

'It is time.' Revan decided finally, 'it is time to join the Republic in war.'

* * *

Oh dear... well guys and gals I screwed up. I have to apologise yet again for updating fifty million years late... I hope you all can find it in your wonderfulness to forgive me! I had a bit of a mix up with dates for spring break, its actually this week instead of last week... so yeah. and i've been having an ongoing allergic reaction, I just cant stop itching! turns out i'm allergic to citric acid, and its in my shampoo and my favorite tropical skittles and vitamin water... so basically i am screwed... eh, my week was interesting to say the least. i will update as soon as possible!

Later- scatcat

P.S.! IMPORTANT! my good friend **revens-revenge** (he's new here) just posted his first **ever** star wars fic on this site! please, please, please, pretty please read it! I would be eternally grateful if you did! it would really help him out if you peoples would give him some feedback! THANK YOU!


	13. Chapter 12

**_Space, on the bridge of the Inexpugnable-Class tactical command ship: Valiance. 1800 Hours, (RST)_**

The tactical command ship _Valiance_, was large and deadly. It was equipped with eight, sets of two, twin gun batteries. The command center was located under its main superstructure, toward the back. Its circular structure also held several considerably extensive hangers toward the bow.

Its propulsion systems were also impressive, the enormous structure was moved by four large thrusters, and these were powered by engines under the central area of the ship.

Malak felt rather impressed as he looked around.

Revan and Aiden were standing close by with Yusanis, Arren and Brianna. Not to say that he was far away from the group, he had simply wandered over a few feet to the right in his 'inspection' of the bridge.

Malak had seen battle ships, and frigates and star fighters, hell; he'd even seen support ships like orbital shuttles…. Nothing he had seen in his twenty-odd years of life had ever been like this….

Brianna looked to be in a similar state, though, minus the slack jawed wonder that Malak seemed to hold…. She had only traveled on smaller ships, like the _Ebon Hawk_ before, and the Hawk held many people with ease.

she looked up at Aiden, who was standing next to her and saw that he was listening to the conversation going on between her father and Revan…however, the twenty one year old knight could not understand a word of the rushed Echani….

Arren was looking over the shoulder of an unsuspecting Republic officer at their computer station…. Brianna rolled her eyes, typical, she thought, peeved.

Thinking back over the last day and a bit, the young Echani could hardly believe that so much had happened in such a short amount of time.

By the end of the interrogation, the mandalorian major had said but two words, no matter what sort of 'persuasion' was presented to him, he was still with his men on the planet, though, he was currently in solitary confinement, and would be for a while….

The two left with the STALKER-class ship had been hauled in questioned, and then shoved into the cell with the rest of their companions.

Revan had come back from his meditations early, and then immediately demanded to see Yusanis. He called together the Echani elders and the Jedi masters and held a short meeting. According to Arren, Revan had received a vision through the Force, and was now, after several months of originally scouting around with fellow Jedi, joining the Republic war effort officially.

According to Aiden, who Brianna had spoken to during the trip, for the past five plus standard months, Revan , Malak, himself and several other Jedi Revan had recruited to their cause, had scouted out almost all of the possible areas that the mandalorians could use to gain a foothold against the Republic.

All information that would be necessary to help the Republic in battle was taken and analyzed by the group, then it was put into complex , encrypted files by Revan himself to hand over to Republic intelligence when he deemed it necessary to finally join the actual Republic forces; versus scouting about with his Jedi friends.

After landing in one of the several large hangars, the in the Hawk; the large group plus the several other ships full of Echani warriors , and the Jedi rescued from Taris, they had been greeted by a few wide-eyed, green recruits… that gawked.

The recruits had then called down their Chief petty officer, who looked a little stunned to see the supposedly 'uninvolved' Jedi in his hangar bay and the 'undecided' Echani, not to mention that _the_ General Yusanis was among them….

Brianna had to give the man a few respect points though, the Chief had recovered after only a few seconds and immediately escorted her father, mother, Revan, Aiden and Malak, plus herself up to the bridge, while the other sixty that had accompanied them were escorted by the few recruits to a separate part of the _Valiance._

Brianna had watched Malak and Corina exchange a glance of unwillingness to part ways…

But, Revan had given Malak a pointed look, and the tall knight had made a shooing motion toward the padawan, who had nodded and then followed her master, Aiofe, to wherever the recruits were taking them.

Malak followed Revan at his usual long-legged pace, looking just a little dejected. Aiden had elbowed his tall friend in the side and rolled his eyes at him.

Malak squinted down at his shorter friend and 'hmphed', his eyes glinting with mock seriousness.

Aiden raised an eyebrow in mock offense and then pretended to ignore the tall knight.

If Revan noticed his friend's strange behavior, he was ignoring it, or immune to it…. Brianna was not certain of which it was….

When they had reached the bridge, the chief had promptly excused himself, saying that he would be right back after he grabbed the Captain….

It had been roughly ten minutes since then….

Revan looked over from his conversation with Yusanis to the secondary door that had just _whooshed_ open.

Out of it came a man that was about six feet tall with brown hair that had a few random bangs fell over brown eyes, and a very, very orange flight jacket. He made his way over to the group of Echani and Jedi quickly, followed closely by the Chief petty officer.

When he came closer, the orange flight jacket man did a bit of a double take at Malak, due to the sheer height of the man.

Revan smirked slightly at the man, who turned to face him after a moment with his eye brows raised slightly.

"Are you the Captain?" Aiden asked the man.

He shook his head, "Negative, my name is Lieutenant Carth Onasi. Captain Karath is my mentor. He's in a meeting at the moment; he's asked me to bring you down to his office. Who are you, by the way?" Carth asked his brown eyes looking curiously at Aiden.

"Jedi Knight Aiden Kenobi." Aiden replied offering his hand for a shake.

Carth took it and shook, when he released and looked at Revan.

"And you?" he asked.

"Jedi Knight Revan." Revan said, still smirking slightly.

Carth returned the smirk and finished introductions with Arren, Yusanis, and Brianna.

He then turned to Malak.

"Ummmm-"Carth did not get a chance to finish his sentence as Malak pulled a face and held up a large hand.

"I know, I'm the tallest human that you've ever seen, blah, blah, blah…. My name's Malak, I'm a Jedi knight."

Carth chucked good naturedly, causing Malak to lift a brow. "Alright, alright, I guess you get that tall jibe a lot then…."

"You have no idea…." Malak replied smacking himself on the forehead, then smiling at the good natured lieutenant.

"Well, if you'll all follow me, I'll take you down to Saul's office." Carth said, and then turned to the Chief Petty officer, "that will be all, thank you for bringing them up."

"Yessir." The Chief replied respectfully, then exited the bridge through the door he had brought the group through fifteen minutes earlier.

"Right then, this way." Carth said moving back over to the secondary door had emerged from naught five minutes ago.

Revan followed the brown haired man, and the group followed Revan through the door.

The door led to a hallway that was lit by fluorescent lights sunk into the walls along the edges of the ceiling and lining the now blue carpeted floor.

They were obviously getting closer to the engine room as they walked down the long hallway, because the hum of the four engines to power the inexpugnable-class ship was getting louder by the second.

They finally came to the end of the hallway, and it separated into two different doors. One on the right and one straight ahead, to what Revan assumed was the engine room.

Carth lifted a key out of the front right breast pocket of his orange flight jacket and slid it through the access panel to the captain's office. The door opened without any sound and the group followed Carth in.

"Well, this is it. This is Captain Karath's office." Carth said waving one hand to all of the room. "Make yourselves, uh, comfortable I guess. He might be a few minutes; he was dealing with a bit of a crisis on Taris the last time I checked… I don't think he's left his meeting room all day, actually…." Carth said plopping himself down into one of the several seats in front of a durasteel desk

Revan looked around for a while, there as a holographic projection computer system on one wall and one built into the desk by the looks of it. The office was not overly ostentatious at all, and that told Revan much about the man he was about to meet

. The man was precise by what Revan could tell, he was to the point and he didn't like to beat around the bush, just like Revan. What sort of personality the man had outside of his military life, Revan did not know.

There were no personal effects in the room, not even a picture of perhaps an old squad the man had been on…nothing.

Revan raised an eyebrow to this discovery, either Karath didn't have a life outside of the military, or he didn't want to think about it… and when you don't want to think about something… Revan knew that feeling all too well….

The door slid open after several minutes of quiet from everyone in the room, barely anyone noticed. Captain Karath was a quiet man, when he spoke, and when he walked apparently.

" Are these the people we were informed about Carth?" he asked in an even tone, it did however sound slightly wearied, as though he had not had much time to do anything but listen to problems all day.

"Yessir, they are. These people are Jedi Knights: Revan, Aiden Kenobi, and Malak, General Yusanis of the Echani and Arren Kae and Brianna." Carth said promptly pointing to each person as he introduced them to Captain Karath.

"Jedi knights?" Saul asked, curious as to why they were even here, on his ship in the first place…. Especially when they showed such disapproval for the Republic war effort….

Revan was the one to answer Saul, "I hope our presence is not a problem, captain Karath. My friends" Revan motioned to Aiden and Malak, "and I have been working unofficially for the Republic for the last five-plus standard months. We have scouted out many of the possible territories that the mandalorians will attempt to take, and we have spoken to several mandalorians. We," Revan motioned to the small group, "have decided that the council is taking far too long in 'assessing' this threat… and my friends, and several others that will be joining up with us within the next several weeks." Revan explained crossing his arms over his chest.

Saul looked somewhat confused, "what do you mean, 'join up with 'us'?'" he asked a few seconds of silence.

"I thought that was obvious, captain Karath." Revan said in a relaxed manner, denoting his relatively easy going disposition. "We're leaving the Jedi to join the Republic."

Saul Karath and Carth Onasi's eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Uhhhh... Hi? Ummm, yeah... it's been a month since I last updated...

I don't really think sorry is adequate enough for an apology... but, if it helps at all... I'm sorry I haven't updated in fifty gazillion years!

erm... this chapter was like... really fillerish, but I needed to write it, and get it over with... I had severe writers block... which is really, really weird coming from me...because I NEVER get writers block! I think it's all Saul Karath's fault... I blame HIM!! -points finger accusingly-

P.S.: to anyone that actually read Knight of the Old Republic, the comic... I know it's supposed to be the Courageous that Saul is in command of... but I like Valiance better... and it is my fic, so I renamed it, and don't expect that battle to go the way you expect it to...you know the one of which I speak!

_**The Pretty Thankyou List:revens-revenge, Anthony Van Leuvan, Hmmm, TimDrakeFanatic,Revan's Rubber Duckie, The Outlander,Vangrul, exiled-druid,Tainava Vonroa, and LordRevanGrandMasterofTheJedi! **_


	14. Chapter 13

**_Chapter:13_**

**_02:00 Hours RST, Outer Rim World of Telos IV, Just outside of the Station RZ-0031, former Ithorian encampment. Taken by the Mandalorians._**

It was cloudy, the moon and the stars were thoroughly obscured, it was pitch black, and it was dewy. Slippery, and her standard-issue boots found it difficult to find purchase in the seemingly sodden ground and slick, long grass.

It was early, _early_ morning, but she could not make out the significantly dimmed numbers of her wrist chrono, the battery was dying... or it was just really, _really_ dark. Most likely the second option, she thought wearily, as she attempted to get away from her pursuers.

They sounded closer, _much_ closer than they had sounded only a few seconds ago... or the silence was getting to her. The sound of her own blood pounded in her ears, and she felt the last dregs of adrenaline coursing luke-warm in her veins.

Her breath came to her in labored pants, the burns that covered her left arm and the small bits of shraphnel from a frag grenade that had exploded only ten feet from her were imbedded in her body at random points. She cursed her idiocy, she should have sensed something from the area she and her now captured Jedi fellows had entered. They, being the Mandalorians, had been sitting around, as if they had been waiting....

It had become apparent very quickly to the twelve Jedi that they were terribly outnumbered and, unfortunately caught off-guard by the ever-surprising Mandalorians.

They had been taken care of quickly, She knew, and she fought the urge to think of how many good Jedi had been lost just now, in a moment of carelessness....

She felt drained, and she knew that she was running out of her energy quickly... disgustingly quickly, she felt sluggish... _poison_, most likely.

But Force, _how_?

How was it possible for an un-Force trained Mandalorian to get so close to her without being sensed?

She did not have time to mull it over, as she tripped, and rolled headfirst, _over _and _over_ and _over_ again down a medium sized hilly patch.

She hit small rocks and a few dark green, thistley bushes and landed at the bottom of a small gulley with a muffled _thwump_.

She found no energy to pull herself up.

Damp, injured, poisoned and exhausted, She lost consiousness.

* * *

**_Space, In Orbit of Telos IV, on board the Inexpugnable tactical command ship, Valiance. 15:20 Hours, RST._**

It had been absolute ages since he had possessed a single moment of peace. They were almost always snatched away from him as soon as he had found one... a most annoying thing that kept happening to him, seemingly on the daily basis. _Maybe there was a conspiracy_... he mused, _yes, that must be it, they were obviously plotting to steal his sanity one precious peaceful moment at a time._

Putting a data pad full of semi-pertinent information down on the metal desk in front of him, the man reclined a bit in his chair, wincing in mild pain as he felt his back pop in several places from sitting in one hunched over position for so long. He reached out for the cup of caffa on the desk, next to an overflowing bin of even more data pads and his fingers closed around a cold mug... he could have sworn that he had just gotten that refilled... with too-hot caffa....

How much time had passed since he had gotten that refilled? He looked down at his wrist chrono... it had been four hours. Apparently time flew, not only when someone was having fun, but also when they were bored and up to their eyeballs in overly detailed military information.... He would have to remember to tell that to someone someday... maybe they would appreciate his astounding insight.... He snorted at himself for this ridiculous thougt process.

Running the back of a hand over tired eyes he breathed a worn-out sigh, shifting slightly in his chair. His eyes drifted closed, slowly, and then the buzzer screamed loudly on the comm.….

Letting out a growl, he leaned forward and pushed in the button that was for answering with an unnecessary amount of force.

"Yes?" he said politely, if only they could see the scathing look on his face….

"Vice Admiral, Sir, we are almost in orbit around Telos now." The voice on the other end responded.

"Roger that, I'll be there in a minute." The man replied.

"Yes, sir. Out." The connection severed and the man released the button...

Standing up, the man's hand extended and his utility belt flew to it effortlessly from across the room.

He strapped it on, then, grabbing the black cloak from the back of his chair, he threw it on in one swift motion, fastening the silver-steel clasps at the throat and throwing up the large hood to conceal his features.

He stepped around his data-strewn work space and out the door into the grey-metal hallway lit by copious amounts of pale artificial light, with the exception of a few scant windows on the outside bits of the ship.

With fluid motion he walked the length of the hallway to the turbo-lift and swept in, ignoring the partly awed looks from the lower ranked soldiers and ranked officers around him. With a soft but commanding tone, he requested the young ensign closest to the lift control to hit the button for the hangar.

The young ensign nodded hastily and he punched the button in.

A few moments later the lift was zooming down on its track, and then as soon as it had begun, the ride stopped and the doors opened, the cloaked man exited with eyes watching his back eagerly.

He darted past pilots and directors and supplies-loaders and over to a waiting group next to a shuttle.

He reached them quickly and stopped next to an exceptionally tall man in dark blue and black with modified armor in the Echani style. Much like the shorter man next to him wore… but the shorter man's was much more intimidating. Dark, crimson-red, which was obscured by black leather and pilfered manda-metal arm braces and shin guards, along with a specially painted, protective chest piece.

The tall man nodded quietly as his friend slid into the circle, and the conversation that was going on between Karath, Arren and of all people Master Vrook….

"We mus--!" Vrook was saying, looking rather angry for a Jedi Master.

"We cannot! The forces we would need--!" Karath cut him off quickly, sounding urgent.

"Enough, Revan is here." Arren replied to both, effectively ending the conversation.

The arguers turned around to him, almost looking surprised that he was there.

Revan noted the even more pronounced irate look on Vrook's face and smirked lightly, the aloof Jedi Master annoyed him, and he made no effort to conceal this fact.

"What do you want me to do, Vrook?" Revan inquired from beneath his hooded cloak.

"I want those Jedi back!" Vrook exclaimed.

Revan stayed silent and watched Vrook critically for a few moments, thoughtful. Ten Jedi Padawans and two Jedi knights had all but disappeared on Telos, contact had been lost, and that was eleven days ago….

"You want me to send soldiers of a war you condemn to fight and possibly die for you?" Revan asked in a tone that was almost mocking.

Vrook gave him a hard look but stayed silent.

Revan looked to Arren, and she was already staring at him thoughtfully, and she looked very serious about this matter, as though it were something important….

Revan sighed inwardly, resigned. When she gave him such a serious countenance to mull over, he could hardly refuse to do as she asked... Revan supposed that it was because she was somewhat of a mother figure to him when he was younger, and now still... though he would never admit it to anyone.... Least of all Arren herself.

"Where are they, these Jedi?" he asked Vrook.

Vrook blinked in surprise but recovered quickly, "at the point beneath the equatorial line that has a small reserve for the supplies shipped down to the academy at the southern pole."

Revan nodded, he knew of it, he had re-supplied there several times when he was a "real" Jedi. Revan thought this with a slight pang of bitterness. He was no longer considered one of them, to the Order, he was but an outsider.

"That spot is rumored to be Mandalorian territory." Malak said after a moment, "we can't spare the troops."

Revan noticed a flinch in both Kae and Vrook's faces. There was something else going on.

For now, he would let it slide, but he would get his first master to tell him what it was eventually….

"We can." Revan disagreed quietly, Malak's dark eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline at this, "really, Rev?" he asked incredulously, his tone completely disbelieving.

"Yes, if you and I go in with a couple of commandos and pick them up." Revan told him, calmly, knowing that Malak wouldn't like the idea.

Malak scowled predictably and looked pensieve, crossing his arms over his broad chest. After a few seconds he looked down at

Revan and resignedly agreed, "You'll need me there, I have a bad feeling about this."

Revan nodded in acknowledgement of Malak's wariness and looked over at Karath who had gone strangely silent, the man was watching him expectantly.

"I want the unit I went down with last mission down here in twenty minutes, fully prepared, I want the _Hawk_ prepped, and I want a shuttle on standby for any pickups on the planet after we go down at all times. Make sure there are enough field rations in each pack for a week of schlepping." Revan told him.

Captain Karath saluted him and walked off to get it done.

Malak was giving him a contemplative expression as he stood there. Not quite understanding why they had agreed to go down on the planet on a Force-forsaken errand for the Jedi. Personally, no less. Revan understood the confusion; he himself was mildly befuddled as to why he had agreed, but something about master Kae and Vrook screamed relief at his words of consent.

Their postures were less tense than they were moments prior, still strained but better.

Revan inclined his head to both of them and turned, heading off to locate his own pack. Moving away with a swift purpose.

He found it in the locker, labeled 'Sora' instead of 'Revan' to not draw attention, he usually stashed his stuff in, on the hangar bay level, in the fighter pilot's suit –up area. Snatching up his pack of useful things, like med-packs, freeze dried rations, water purification tablets, a hydro spanner, an alien language quick reference guide he had memorized but decided to give to Malak….

After checking everything meticulously, twice, Revan decided he was ready.

In a matter of moments he was back out in the hangar, this time waiting for his squad in front of the _Hawk_ that was busily being prepped.

Malak came back next; he too was carrying a pack, though slightly larger because he carried more 'necessities'… Revan rolled his eyes at that and Malak scowled a bit in defense of his pack… of necessities, because thats what gummi-gum candies and playing cards were, necessities.

The squad pulled up in the hangar bay together. All of their armor shining brightly in the artificial lighting. Weapons freshly taken care of, wiped down, oiled, blasters and vibroblades and stun sticks and light, portable cannons strapped don to each of them, the sniper was the leader of this group, an interesting tidbit, Revan thought.

They formed a semi-circle around the two ex-Jedi and looked very at ease with themselves, strange… if anyone had not known that these men were on their side they would have believed that they were the enemy and shot at them on sight, and they probably would have caused a stink about the 'enemy' boarding their ship without them knowing and blah, blah, blah….

They were the Mandalorians that had been captured on the Echani home world,Thyrsus, and they had sworn themselves to Revan, who had defeated each of them personally in hand to hand combat, and earned their respect, during the first year he had joined the Republic war effort. Revan sometimes found it hard to believe that it had been four years ago....

The ex-major, Kex, saluted Revan casually and Revan nodded.

"Karath told you of the circumstances?" Revan inquired quietly.

"Yessir." Kex affirmed, his stance shifting a bit as he moved a holster to a better position on his red-armored hip.

"Good. Lets go boys." Revan announced.

Two and a half minutes later, they were gone on the _Hawk_.

* * *

Arren stood in the hangar bay window with Vrook as she watched the Hawk. When the squad departed, she let out a heavy sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot and glancing up and over at the Jedi Master, his countenance was tightly drawn and worried... not in Revan's skills, she knew, but for his young student on the planet below.

Arren was glad to have made Revan see the importance of taking on this mission, but she also felt deceitful… Revan had no idea why the mission was important.

She did.

The Force had made it clear to her when Vrook had spoken to her earlier.

This day would be one of the most critical points in the war for the Republic.

* * *

**_Surface of Telos IV, 16:10 Hours, RST._**

The _Hawk_ touched down with little difficulty, due to the practiced ease Revan and Kex maneuvered it with.

Malak stood behind him and his Mandalorian co-pilot checking out the scanners that covered the walls. The monitors were quiet in the area they had landed in, but they buzzed with activity in an area to the far north-west (left) corner of the screen. He relayed this to Revan and Kex who nodded in consideration.

Telos, Revan thought, was supposedly a temperate to mild planet, and it was a rather clear day outside the Hawk, so they should make good time toward the activity blipping on the screen.

He relayed this thought process to Malak, who nodded and left to tell the other nine Mandalorian of the general plan.

They exited the ship and made sure it was well cloaked.

Malak was checking in with Arren and told her of their status, when Karath's voice came over the link as well.

"I just had an intelligence report in, is Revan there?"

Revan's ears pricked up and he turned away from the holographic map he was showing the squad.

"Here, Saul." He replied.

"Right, Sir, there are reports of more than ten thousand Mandalorian troops in that region. The cities even worse… about twenty klicks north of your position, nearly fifty-thousand are there. The locals are forming a militia…" Karath trailed off, the com crackling quietly as Revan waited for him to continue.

When he didn't Revan prompted him. " Karath?"

"Sir, Carth Onasi wants to know if you could spare the resources to fly by Alta the city-suburb to pick up his family. They comm-ed this morning, there been a bombing…."

Revan stilled a moment, _Carth Onasi_… a friend and good pilot, asking for his help.

_Technically _it wasn't supposed to be done, this breach of protocol for a personal mission.

But Revan wasn't feeling very technical today so he gave an affirmative; they would pick up the family.

The comm. Crackled and a new voice came over the signal, "thank you, Sir." Onasi himself.

"Sure Carth." Revan told him. "Sora Out."

"Onasi, Out."

The link went dead with one final crackle and Revan shut it off with one black gloved thumb.

"Well boys, looks like we have more to do than we thought." Revan said a little louder than usual without turning around. "We need to make even better time now. It's from here to that hive of activity in the span of a few hours, and its twelve kilometers. Let's go."

They nodded, each Mandalorian more than prepared for the trip, and Malak ready but grumbling about the "long stroll ahead…" and they were gone.

* * *

My Star Wars mojo was gone for a long time... I think I may have a smidgeon of it back. At least I hope so... I'm going to the Grand Canyon at the end of the week, but I'm planning on writing while I'm there... and on the flight there....

I hope to post again soon, sorry about the long wait everyone.

-ScatCat517-


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: sadly I own nothing.

A/N: Info about future updates are in my profile. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting so long. I appreciate you all for your kind words and patience! Lets get this show on the road!

* * *

_**Chapter: 14**_

_**Surface of Telos IV, 8 km from Ebon Hawk, 18:20 Hours, RST**_

Malak scowled, and heavilysat on the sodden ground when he lost his footing on the small slope. The group of mandalorians turned republic commandos led by Revan and himself had gone eight kilometers in the last two hours, and, in that short time it had begun to rain. No, it had begun to pour. The sky was quite literally, Malak was certain, pissing on them.

In what seemed like seconds the sky had filled with clouds of dismal gray and tumultuous, bruise colored, purple, the result looking quite wicked. It had promptly begun to rain and the results were a multitude of drenched commandos and two Jedi; one seemingly impervious to the water and the other looking like an overgrown and drowned wamp rat.

Revan looked over at Malak who was still sitting in the mud and pulled his own hood up further, in an attempt to keep himself and the technology he carried dry, he then pulled out his data pad and pushed it to the map setting.

"We only have four kilometers to go; we could make that in another hour or less… Do you think we can push through Mak?" Revan asked. Malak only scowled harder and turned his face up so he could see Revan, and said "we can make it, but it won't be pretty."

"You're never pretty, Mak." Revan retorted, smirking slightly. This only made Malak more irritated and he refused to accept Revan's helping hand that was now extended and pushed himself off the ground nearly losing his balance again due to his stubbornness.

Revan barely refrained from laughing, but then on a more serious note, the brown haired man then looked to Kex the Mandalorian ex-major, and asked, "how many mandalorians should we expect to see?"

Kex looked thoughtful for a moment and looked to Zuka and Xarga for their estimation, as they were milling around him, they shrugged, "no more than five hundred, the rest will be on the outskirts running patrols and taking any supplies. The majority of the troops will be concentrated nearer to the cities; they won't waste many men on grasslands. " the republican mando replied.

Revan nodded and looked pensive, after a few moments he made the hand motion to move out and was followed easily by his men.

* * *

_**Telos IV,Jedi-turned- Mandalorian base, 5 km from former Ithorian encampment, Time unknown**__._

When she woke up in the dingy cell she opened her eyes slowly and with great effort. The first thing she noted that she was bound by the hands with metal chains. In an attempt to sit up she realized that the floor was extremely uneven and made of dirt, which made it difficult for her with her painful wounds and the angle which her hands were tied behind her back. She gave up after a moment and laid on her side, staring at the door which was clearly very reinforced.

The cell was made of dura- steel, but its age was clearly showing.

She was cold; there was no cot, only a bucket in the corner that she supposed was to serve as some form of waste collection.

She looked down at herself as best she could as her neck protested sharply at the angle; her bodysuit was ripped and dirty and damp, which only made the cold worse because there was quite a circulation of air going through the containment cell.

It was eerily silent, the only exception being the muffled cries of the person in the cell next to hers. And then, after a few minutes those stopped too.

The young woman attempted to reach out into the Force for a moment, desperate to know if the person was still living, only to be thwarted and zapped on the back of the neck by an inhibitor collar designed to keep a Jedi weak and disconnected from the force.

She shivered violently and then scooted as best she could into the far corner away from the door of reinforced steel. She thought to herself for a moment, about how she could escape.

But for some reason she felt exhausted, her limbs felt heavy and her arms hurt from being pulled behind her back and held there by the thick chains, which were ridiculously weighty.

She fought with herself for a moment to keep her eyes open, but gave in to the overwhelming urge to sleep. She could think her way out of this in the morning, it didn't cross her mind that the drug the mandalorians had also put in her collar would not allow that. Before she drifted off she was dimly aware of her own worry for the other Jedi that had been attacked, especially the young ones.

She hoped they gotten away, and that the Council would send someone, anyone to find them.

* * *

_**19:15 RST**_

Revan and his men reached the edge of the Jedi turned Mandalorian base after another hour and a few minutes. They were tired and dirty but they had managed to avoid all the patrols that had been in the same area as they were traveling.

Revan understood that his men felt better for at least completing this first part of their goal, but he knew that it would take the rest of this night, and only after some serious hours of fighting, that they would truly be finished and able to return to their ship orbiting the planet from above.

Then he would get his answers from Arren about her insistence that he carry out this mission, even if that insistence was unspoken.

Malak nudged Revan with his elbow as they lay on their bellies in the damp, squishy, knee-high, grass. The taller man was peering carefully through the brush toward the moderately large, dura- steel structure. Revan peeked over the grass just enough to see what had Malak interested.

There were only two troops guarding the door, but there were at least twenty around and Revan calculated the situation carefully, this was the only base that showed up on the scanners for miles, and because it was affiliated with the Jedi it was the most logical place that the missing members of the order would be, held by the mandalorians in their own base.

Revan nodded to Malak and motioned for the rest of the commandos to spread out. They fanned out twenty yards from the dura-steel door and the two Mandalorian troops that were guarding it, Revan sat still for a few moments and reached out with the force, sensing where all the other troops were.

When he had ascertained that they were far enough from the door for he and his men to make a sprint for the other two troops, he gave them the signal. He and Malak activated the light sabers simultaneously, and the two mandalorians at the door were missing their heads within nano- seconds.

Then, Revan waved his hand over the access panel, using a nudge from the force to make it activate, and the heavy dura- steel, reinforced door, slid open without a hitch. He and the commandos made their way inside and the last man in closed the door behind them.

The hallway was vacant, and Revan felt very uneasy that they were not confronted by any troops at the inside of the front entrance. Pushing the thought aside, he moved forward, seeking the force signatures of the twelve Jedi in the vicinity.

He was surprised when he felt that there was only one and it was very weak. These mandalorians must have realized that a Jedi required more restrained than that of a normal person, and put something on them to inhibit their use of the force.

He reached out again, into the force and felt no presences of any mandalorians in the building. Not liking it one bit, but deciding to go on anyway he and the rest of his commandos made their way down the hallway, toward a turbo lift which required a key card, which this time Malak hacked with the force.

Knowing that any other facility for holding prisoners would be underground, Revan pushed the down button. The lift went downward quickly for a few rushed seconds and shuddered to a halt.

Revan exited first when the doors opened. Cautiously he looked around for a few long moments and when he ascertained that it was safe for the rest of his men motioned for them to emerge.

They went down the hallway a ways, and came to the first door on the left, there was no one inside. There was another door opposite of it, and there was no one in it either….

Revan paused a moment, and looked to his men, " spread out down the hallway, check every cell."

They all obeyed in an instant and Revan found himself wandering further down to the left, he looked through every door's tiny window and reached out through the force and there was nothing….

He reached the end of the hallway, feeling ridiculous and stumped when he heard a whimper.

His ears pricked up and he strained to listen in the dead silence at this end of the corridor. There was a muffled thump… where was it? Revan looked around, and his eyes widened when he stopped his search.

Below.

He bent down and pressed his ear against the tiled flooring. Sure enough when he tapped it with his knuckles it sounded hollow.

He straightened and with a concentrated heave, used the force to pull the large gray tile up and out of the floor, sending it away from himself and setting it down heavily.

His men seemed to perk up and came jogging toward him, Malak at he front.

His tall friend gave him a quizzical look, and Revan shook his head.

"I would prefer you to stay up here, in case something happens. Warn me if we're going to be attacked."

Malak exhaled through his nose in irritation but nodded all the same.

Revan jumped down through the opening in the floor without a second thought, and cushioned his fall with a push of force energy at the floor below. He straightened himself and peered into the dim artificial light.

There were three holding cells, made of dura-steel and floors of dirt. He heard a small whimper again, and this time knew that it came from the cell in the back left.

He went directly to it and inspected the lock, a manual old style lock. He pulled one of his sabers off of his belt and ignited it, the snap-hiss and hum dominating the sound of the room and then he carefully cut the lock mechanism off of his side of the door.

It took a few minutes of tense concentration but it came off easily when he was finished. He put the saber back on his belt and pulled the door open with a tug.

A young woman in a Jedi body suit was sitting in a corner, curled up on herself. Her clothes were ripped and dirty, her boots were missing, and she was wearing a chrome colored force suppression collar with what Revan could see was a sedation mechanism on the back.

He strode over to her in a few steps and knelt in front of her, her hair was a mess, and the few remaining pins that he supposed were to hold her bangs back were falling out.

He put his right hand on the top of her head, and she startled out of her position.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, blue-grey eyes. Her dirty face had old tear tracks running down it, and he could see tiny pieces of silver shrapnel poking out of her shoulder from this angle.

Revan felt all his breath leave him, as though he had been punched in the diaphragm.

He felt dizzy and sick when he realized who it was. Even though it had been three years since he had seen her, he recognized those blue- grey eyes and the heart shaped face.

It was Bastila.

* * *

Malak watched as Revan jumped down through the tile shaped hole he had created with a sense of trepidation. This whole base was strange. There was no one anywhere. No enemies, no allies, nothing.

Malak felt foolish for some reason unknown to him, as though he had done something extremely stupid and entirely failed to realize it. He frowned at this thought and continued to watch the dimly lit hole in the floor, the rest of the commandos around him watching for any trouble.

Malak knew in the pit of his stomach, however, that something was very, very wrong about this whole situation, and he hoped that Revan came out of the hole very, very soon.


End file.
